Variance by Region and Rural/Urban Location

There are notable differences in the regional composition of non-users across the country and between rural and urban areas. These differences, however, are less pronounced compared to other subgroups [Table 2a].

• At 19 per cent and 17 per cent, B.C. has the largest composition of “new near users” and “re-joining/accelerating near users”.
• Fewer than one in ten non-users from the Prairie Provinces (8 per cent) and Quebec (9 per cent) are “new near users”. This low proportion is a significant impediment to continued usage growth in these regions.
• One in five Quebec non-users (20 per cent) are “drop-out/infrequent users”, the largest concentration of this segment by region.
• Two in three Atlantic Canadian non-users are “core non-users” (67 per cent), indicating that Atlantic Canada may remain one of the least connected regions in Canada for the foreseeable future.
• 64 per cent of rural non-users are ”core non-users”, with only 9 per cent falling into “re-joining/accelerating near user” typology.
• By contrast, 13 per cent of urban non-users are “re-joining/accelerating near users”, with fewer than three in five (58 per cent) being “core non-users”.