3.0
Tracking the Dual Digital Divide

The most vital information for understanding how the Internet may evolve comes from some of the most basic findings on Internet usage — the numbers of users and non-users, who they are and why some have not been using the Internet. It is crucial to have a clear understanding of these trends before venturing into more specific details of how Canadians use the Internet.

The first iteration of the dual digital divide in 2000 found that “off-line” Canadians (non-users) were segmented in two main types: near and far users. Near users showed interest in on-line service, but they faced obstacles and barriers such as cost and technical literacy. Far users faced cost and technical literacy obstacles as well, but other important factors were also in play. These additional factors included the lack of relevant content and the perceived lack of personal benefit and social value of Internet service.

This chapter gives an update of this segmentation and focuses on key barriers to Internet access. Before looking at how the near and far users evolved over the last few years, we will look at the recent growth of Internet access and its underlying demographic patterns. We will also shed light on the historical gap in Internet access that separates youth and seniors, low- and high-income citizens, and women and men.