In 1999, over eighty two per cent of public schools and over half of libraries received discounted telecommunications service through the Erate. While Canada has been more successful in providing connectivity to all schools and libraries through the SchoolNet, LibraryNet and CAP programs, we have not developed fiscal or regulatory-based initiatives to deal with the ongoing connectivity or operational costs for community access and networking initiatives.²³ The CRTC implemented an industry-driven plan that could permit a deferral of communication costs for libraries and schools. However, this initiative has been unsuccessful because what the public institutions need is a reduction in costs, not a deferral.

In the United States, two initiatives that are somewhat similar to the CAP and CLN programs are the Community Technology Centers (CTC) and the Technology Opportunities Program (TOP).²⁴ At the time of writing, the degree to which support for these programs would continue under the Bush regime was not clear.

CTCs offer services similar to CAP and CLN, but they tend to be located in disadvantaged communities and neighbourhoods, as compared with the broad-based community distribution of sites in Canada. CTCs are located in schools, libraries, community centres and public housing facilities. Established in the 1980s, these community centres provide a range of education and skills upgrading services in addition to Internet access. As experienced by the CLNs and CAPs in Canada, CTCs face ongoing challenges involving sustainability funding, increasing demands by the public for more services, technical support, effective content, program standards, and the need for more partnering.²⁵

²³ "E-Rate to Receive Full Funding", News Release, Federal Communications Commission, April 13, 2000.
²⁴ CAP - Community Access Program, Industry Canada, CLN - Community Learning Network, HRDC.
²⁵ "New Consortium to Help Bridge the Digital Divide", Press Release, Education Development Center, Inc., Newton, MA, September 22, 2000.