Future Role of Public Access Sites

Given Canada’s rapidly changing information society, public access sites must re-evaluate and adjust priorities to continue to make a positive contribution to raising Canadians to the status of the world’s most connected.

Quantitative and qualitative results indicate that those least likely to use the Internet at work or at home, by and large, do not view public Internet access as a viable alternative. Further, for many non-users, Internet usage hinges on ownership of a computer capable of accommodating home Internet usage. Public access options hold little appeal for these potential late-adopters. That being said, public access sites continue to be important resources for some low-income and labourers.

Public access sites and community networks are in a key position to close digital divides through skill development, as well as provide government information and services. Current non-users and late-adopters are less likely to be in a position to develop computer and Internet skills at school or the workplace. Public access networks may fill this gap by providing programs that facilitate Internet usage from preferred access locations, specifically the home and workplace. Emphasis must be adjusted to place priority on skills development. Creating linkages between skills programming and usage from primary locations will increase awareness of the changing role of access as a strategic component of a basket of information and service channels and enhance usage by those not yet connected.

Multi-Channel Imperative

The principle of equality reinforces the importance that all citizens have the option to use the Internet. At the same time, however, this same principle reinforces the importance that those who are not able or who do not wish to use the Internet retain the ability to access the same or substantively similar information and services.

The importance of ensuring that those who remain offline are not marginalized is a central driving factor for maintenance of a multi-channel approach to service delivery. Qualitative results support the contention that failure to maintain a multi-channel approach to government information and service delivery will be viewed as an affront to Canadians’ sense of inclusion, equality and fairness.