Location and Type of Access Divide

Evaluations of connectedness have previously been based on the ability to use the Internet, without specific consideration of location and type of usage. However, as the characteristics of Canada’s evolving information society take shape, considerations of location and type of access have become central to accurately evaluating the accessibility of a substantively similar online experience for all Canadians.

The tier two digital divide is concerned with location and type of access. The divide is centred on differences in availability of access from key locations and differences in availability of high-speed home access between subgroups.

Location of Usage

The home is the dominant location for Canadian Internet usage by a substantial margin. This trend is expected to intensify as reported home usage continues to rise and proportional usage from all other identified locations declines [Figure 7].

• 84 per cent of Internet users went online from home in the past three months, up from 73 per cent in 1999.
• 37 per cent of Internet users report workplace usage in the past three months, down from the high observed in 2000.
• A declining proportion of users report school or public access site usage; school usage fell to 12 per cent, public access site usage fell to 5 per cent.¹
• 9 per cent of users went online from the residence of a friend or relative.

¹ Respondents were allowed to self-define “public access site”. It is possible this may have been interpreted as being more inclusive than government terms of reference for “public access sites”.