Information technology is at the heart of most people's lives. Consumers are increasingly using the Internet to communicate with friends and family, and to purchase goods and services. They also use the Internet to do business with various companies, such as financial institutions and telecommunications firms. On these companies' sites, they can find a wealth of information; if necessary, they can use chat to ask questions. They can also pay their bills online.
While the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) by businesses is growing rapidly, some consumers still don't have access to the Internet. A growing number of observers believe that a gap has opened up between those who surf the Web and those who don't - the so-called digital divide. What does this divide look like? Does it claim victims? If so, why? Who are these victims? How does this bill affect them? As a company, can we make things better?
This study, which looks at all these issues, has enabled us to conclude that the geographical factor is not very important. Indeed, we need to stop confining ourselves to questions of infrastructure and bandwidth availability - these are technical issues which, with the advancement of technology and the development of the industry, have been or are in the process of being resolved. It's better to put the question in human terms: who are the people who aren't yet connected? Why aren't they?
From what we've discovered, these people are of different types. Although some of them are not connected by choice, in general, non-Internet users don't have access to the Internet because it's too expensive, because they have too little digital literacy to be able to surf the Web, because they don't see the benefits, or because they're afraid of it. In fact, those most affected by the digital divide are, for the most part, people who are a priori disadvantaged in our society - the illiterate, the elderly, people on low
people.
From our field research, we also know that consumers who don't use the Internet to make their transactions with their financial institution or telecommunications company are rarely at a disadvantage at the time they make the transaction (proceeding otherwise than via the Internet can even have certain advantages). However, they are at a disadvantage at other times. Unlike Internet users, non-Internet users... -
During our research, we identified other very important areas where the unplugged consumer is at a disadvantage. This is particularly true in the workplace, where it's increasingly difficult to find a job without computer skills. What's more, many employers only publish their job offers on the Web, and a growing number of companies only accept applications electronically. Finally, online social networks such as Facebook and LinkedIn are becoming increasingly essential for companies and employees alike, enabling them to develop their professional contacts.
We've also noticed that even the federal government now only accepts applications electronically (as is the case for employment insurance, for example), which can obviously disadvantage consumers with low levels of literacy or Web browsing skills, even if computer workstations are available in government service centers.
We've been looking for solutions to Canada's digital divide. Our observations show that, despite Canada's vast territory, at least one type of high-speed Internet service is available to consumers who want to connect - albeit at a higher cost in some regions. On the other hand, there could be more concrete measures and tangible solutions to bridge the digital divide and stimulate the adoption of services across Canada.
