A study led by Professor Rob McMahon at the University of Alberta examines changes in life in small communities caused by the arrival of affordable broadband in the remote north. Until relatively recently, residents of fly‑in communities across northern Canada have lived with slow, unreliable, and expensive satellite connectivity, if they were connected at all. The arrival of fast, low‑latency, unlimited Starlink Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite service represented a structural shift in northern telecommunications — one that meaningfully narrows first‑level digital divides. But as the study shows, solving access problems does not automatically resolve deeper digital inequities. The study reveals that improved connectivity may introduce new tensions that policymakers have barely begun to address.
The research, conducted over two years with a Dene community dependent on satellite communications connectivity, documents dramatic improvements in connectivity. With the arrival of Starlink, device ownership increased significantly, Internet speeds and reliability improved, and restrictive data caps effectively disappeared. By 2024/2025, nearly three‑quarters of surveyed households subscribed to home Internet, compared to just 30% in the survey a year earlier. In measurable terms, the first‑level digital divide (access, affordability, reliability) was substantially reduced.
The research also reveals a divergence between anticipated and actual uses of improved connectivity. Before Starlink arrived, residents said they expected to use the improved Internet access for education, healthcare, and work. A year later, usage patterns shifted toward entertainment, social media, and political engagement. Online education and telehealth use actually declined. The study authors suggested concerns about losing access to in-person healthcare and education services may explain this finding.
Another piece of the study showed that residents’ economic expectations recalibrated. Interest in social media influencer entrepreneurship dropped sharply between the initial survey in 2023 and the follow-up in 2024/2025. More traditional online activities grew, such as banking, buying and selling goods, and promoting tourism. The authors describe this as “a divergence between how respondents anticipated to use newly available online applications (such as for education, healthcare and work) and how they actually use them following 1 year of improved Internet access.”
Most striking is the rise in concerns among users about online harms. Across nearly every category – cyberbullying, scams, misinformation, gambling, explicit content, youth mental health — concern increased significantly. Interview participants described Starlink dishes being brought to cultural gatherings and youth camps, raising fears that online activities may displace land‑based practices. Parents expressed anxiety about screen time, safety, and cultural erosion. The study’s findings echo global research on “adverse digital incorporation,” where improved access can expose marginalized communities to new forms of risk, exploitation, or dependency.
These insights arrive at a critical moment for Canadian telecom policy. The CRTC is actively considering consumer subsidies for northern Internet services, and governments continue to frame LEO deployment as a connectivity solution for rural and remote regions.
The study underscores that infrastructure alone is insufficient. For years, I have been writing about the need to invest in digital literacy. Without community‑led digital literacy programs, culturally relevant content, cyber‑safety training, and governance models that reflect local community priorities, improved access may not provide relief to familiar patterns of inequity. It is reminiscent of concepts I discussed in January in my post about “Digital wellbeing”.
How do we create more sophisticated content consumers?
The lesson for policymakers is clear: bridging the digital divide is no longer just about connecting households. It is about ensuring that connectivity strengthens — not undermines — community well‑being, cultural continuity, and digital sovereignty.
LEO systems like Starlink have solved the technical problem associated with affordable access. Now we need to begin work on tackling the social problems.