One of the more enlightening parts of my recent road trip was the interaction with people from a part of the continent that is often forgotten. The drive from Chicago to Los Angeles goes through a whole lot of wide open space inhabited by people with different experiences which contribute to different perspectives.
There are a lot of people outside the major centres. Many Canadians think of ourselves as living in a more rural nation than our neighbours to the south. The reality is that both Canada and the US have about 1 in 5 residents living in rural areas.
Providing communications to these people is not only a technology challenge, but it also requires a different marketing approach. Back in June, the Statistics Canada Daily released some information about the digital divide.
A remarkable 96% of Canadians 16-24 years old reported using the internet in 2007, versus 29% of seniors (aged 65+). 84% of those with some post-secondary education went on-line, significantly more than the 58% of those with less education.
How well do we understand those differences? While we have spent some time looking at possible solutions for the rural / urban digital divide, election time policy makers should also look at the other major factors: age, education and income.
More tomorrow on next generation networks.
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Statistics Canada, digital divide