Policy Approaches to Internet Access in Northern and Rural Canada
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2018-09-04
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Abstract
This Capstone project explores the different programs administered by the Government of Canada to improve internet connectivity in rural, remote, northern, and Indigenous communities. The gap in internet access between rural and urban Canadians is an issue receiving federal funding in light of a new government objective to make high-speed internet access universal in Canada. A review of the literature describes the digital divide in Canada, the impacts of internet connectivity, and the regulatory environment. It is found that there is still a considerable gap between rural and urban internet access rates, which limits the options that rural residents have for economic opportunity and social participation. The policy objectives of the federal government also represent a conflict between ensuring all Canadians can access essential services while interfering as little as possible with market forces. Since the 1990s, the federal government has instituted six major national programs to subsidize broadband infrastructure and encourage communities to connect to the digital economy. These programs are described and compared to data on internet access rates over the past two decades in order to assess the impact that each program has made and recommend successful approaches to improve these programs in the future. vi | P a g e The major finding is that the data available on high-speed internet in Canada does not give policymakers sufficient evidence to make informed decisions. In fact, the level of scrutiny and performance measurement these programs are subject to has decreased over time, at the same time that the focus on market forces has increased. Given the social, democratic, and economic benefits of internet access, the federal government has made the extension of high-speed internet infrastructure a policy priority. To deliver on this priority and maximize the value of tax-payer dollars, this paper will argue that more attention to data collection in this area is necessary to produce evidence-based public policy. Combined with best practices from international leaders that employ supply- and demand-side interventions as well as balanced public interest and competition regulations, better data will play a large role in meeting the government’s ambitious targets to serve all Canadians with quality internet access.
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Jevne, H. (2018). Policy Approaches to Internet Access in Northern and Rural Canada (Unpublished master's project). University of Calgary, Calgary, AB.