On Monday, Ontario’s Speech from the Throne set out the agenda for Premier Dalton McGuinty’s government. Interestingly, what was called the “Open Ontario Plan” did not lay out plans for an open government, for open access to digital files or records.
Ontario set out plans for expansion of post-secondary education, promising to add 20,000 university seats and creation of an on-line institute.
Ontario’s colleges and universities will also play a key role in the five-year Open Ontario Plan, starting with the addition of 20,000 students this year. The plan also targets e-learning with a new Ontario Online Institute, which will give students access to the best professors in top university programs from their home computers.
Of course, this presumes that the students have homes and computers to start with. We have seen programs such as Toonies for Tummies asking us to help disadvantaged children have access to a proper meal.
There wasn’t a lot of discussion of digital economy issues, perhaps because the province assumes that communications falls under the sole purview of the federal government. However, there are many areas of government impact that fall under provincial jurisdiction.
How can provincial governments drive broadband adoption? I was listening to a Digital Inclusion Summit conducted by the FCC yesterday. One of the best speakers was Housing and Urban Development Secretary Shaun Donovan, who commented that the destiny of a child can be predetermined based on their zip code.
With broadband, a child’s ability to learn is not limited solely by where their school is located.
To what extent are we doing enough to look at this problem in Canada? As mentioned yesterday by HUD Secretary Donovan:
Federally-assisted housing offers a platform to reduce these barriers through local outreach and training that educates people on specific ways that technology can improve their lives, and on how to use it. Through digital literacy training to get people comfortable with technology. And through workforce development and financial literacy training so that they can get the most out of it.
The US National Broadband Plan, to be released next week, will be looking at how to bring down the cost of computers and monthly broadband service fees for low-income families who lack the opportunities to make use of digital technologies.
Broadband stimulus programs in Canada have typically been aimed at supply; isn’t it time to focus on elements that improve accessibility and demand?