Other Possible Federal Government Roles:

• Strategies and initiatives by the federal government and community organizations to close the various “divides” should include measurable goals and objectives.
• There are roles for Ministers in the federal government as part of a communication strategy to help create better public awareness about the importance and relevancy of lifelong learning, literacy, skills upgrading and ICT skills for individual betterment and participation in the changing economy, as well as for community and regional development. Coordination between federal departments may enhance such initiatives.
• The federal government and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission should consider the viability for such initiatives as:
  
  
  • a regulatory fund (Telecommunications Act) to address basic telephone affordability;
  • a fund (Telecommunications Act) comparable to the U.S. E-Rate program to provide connectivity funding assistance to community-based not-for-profit organizations providing access and training;
  • regulation-based public benefits contributions arising from mergers and take-overs for community-based not-for-profit efforts to address the digital divide, non-commercial content development, and community capacity development;
  • regulation-based contributions by Internet service providers, and companies regulated under the Broadcasting Act for communitybased not-for-profit efforts to address the digital divide, noncommercial content development, and community capacity development.