The Territorial and Socio-Economic Characteristics of the Digital Divide in Canada

Abstract

The digital divide in Canada has gained significant attention from policymakers and the public in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic enhances the vulnerability of residents in rural and Indigenous communities that lack high-speed Internet access which affects their residents’ ability to participate in an online work and learning environment. However, digital inequalities also remain an issue in urban settings despite the physical infrastructure that is usually in place to connect to high-speed Internet. The federal government has launched several funding initiatives at the end of 2020; however, this paper argues that the current federal policy strategy to address the digital divide is insufficient. By drawing on the intersectional character of the digital divide, which is interlinked with other types of socio-economic inequalities, this paper investigates why the federal broadband development approach remains problematic. As the digital divide in Canada persists, this paper explores current federal funding initiatives and their effectiveness in supporting broadband deployment across rural and Indigenous communities. The analysis shows inequalities regarding broadband access and funding distribution in Canada which also stem from a lack of democratic efficacy during federal hearings.

Accès au très haut débit et développement territorial en période d’incertitude : note éditoriale

“…Deux articles de ce numéro spécial proposent des contributions originales à ce débat, en questionnant notamment l'efficacité des politiques numériques actuelles au Canada et en France. Koch (2022) avance que la stratégie du gouvernement fédéral canadien ne peut être pleinement efficace pour réduire la fracture numérique. Selon l'auteure, si la reconnaissance des besoins de déploiement d'infrastructures dans les espaces ruraux et les communautés autochtones constitue un pas en avant salutaire, cette stratégie ne sera pas suffisante tant qu'elle restera fondée sur l'idée que la fracture…”

“…Two articles in this special issue offer original contributions to this debate, notably by questioning the effectiveness of current digital policies in Canada and France. Koch (2022) argues that the Canadian federal government's strategy cannot be fully effective in reducing the digital divide. According to the author, while the recognition of the need for infrastructure deployment in rural areas and Aboriginal communities is a welcome step forward, this strategy will not be sufficient if it remains based on the idea that the digital divide is essentially the result of an Internet access problem.…”

“…Si les quatre articles de ce numéro spécial ne se focalisent pas sur le rôle d'internet dans le contexte de la Covid-19, ils fournissent néanmoins des éclairages importants sur la période actuelle. La numérisation accrue de la société (services publics, travail, enseignement, santé) rend l'étude de la stratégie numérique des pouvoirs publics plus nécessaire que jamais (Koch, 2022). De plus, analyser la fracture numérique en tenant compte des besoins numériques inégaux des populations permet d'identifier les espaces les plus vulnérables, notamment dans le cas de la survenue d'une nouvelle crise (Dejean et Tarascou, 2022).…”

“…digital strategy of governments more necessary than ever (Koch, 2022). Moreover, analyzing the digital divide by taking into account the unequal digital needs of populations allow us to identify the most vulnerable spaces, especially in the case of a new crisis (Dejean and Tarascou, 2022).…”

A Socio-economic Review of the Impacts of Northwest Territories’ Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway 10

“…It is unclear which communities are still waiting to be connected but a recent GNWT standing committee highlighted the need for a communications plan for outlying communities not already connected to the new fibre link (Standing Committee on Government Operations 2020, Munzur, 2022). Moreover, Koch (2022) shows many northern rural and First Nations communities are dependent on satellite links, with broadband internet service below the Government of Canada's universal service objective.…”