Montreal – In Canada, having reliable access to the internet is a fundamental part of everyday life — but not for everyone. While the federal government’s goal to provide high-speed internet access to 100 per cent of the country by 2030 is on track, there are still many gaps to close between now and then. A new paper from the Institute for Research on Public Policy argues that, to get there, governments need to address the needs of underserved communities while making internet access more affordable.

In the paper, former Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission chairperson Ian Scott calls for improved co-ordination within and across governments. At the same time, he recommends that northern and Indigenous communities receive priority treatment and that discounted internet plans for low-income Canadians be expanded.

“There has been significant progress across the country, but gaps remain,” says Scott. “Only half of households in First Nations communities and 58 per cent of households in northern Canada meet the basic service target,” Scott explains.

“These challenges are not limited to rural and remote areas. Low-income Canadians, regardless of where they live, struggle to afford the technology and internet plans needed to take full advantage of the digital economy,” he adds.

Improving access for Indigenous and northern communities will require greater government involvement in expanding fibre optic and satellite networks. In addition to financing, better federal-provincial-territorial co-ordination is needed to overcome jurisdictional barriers in accessing infrastructure, such as utility poles, needed to expand fibre cables into more remote areas. .

When it comes to making high-speed broadband services more affordable, existing government and private-sector efforts have resulted in progress but there is more to do. Scott recommends that the federal government commit to providing the necessary funding to expand existing support programs, possibly drawing on the proceeds of spectrum auctions. He calls on Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada to jointly develop an easy-to-use program to defray internet costs for low-income households.

“Ensuring that all Canadian homes and businesses have access to quality high-speed broadband services should remain a first-order priority. However, we can no longer measure progress on the digital divide solely through the availability of high-speed internet to all Canadians. We need to consider the magnitude of societal benefits associated with community access, and the ability of low-income households and northern and Indigenous communities to access and afford high-speed internet,” concludes Scott.