Understanding the larger context of how the information highway, and more specifically the Internet, continues to evolve within Canadian society begins with an understanding of some of the most basic Internet usage related indicators — who is online, who is not and what are the key differences between these groups. 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 (2000) and second iterations (2001) of the dual digital divide found that “offline” Canadians (non-users) were segmented in two main types: near and far users. Near users showed interest in online service, but they faced obstacles and barriers such as cost and technological literacy. Far users faced cost and technological literacy obstacles as well, but other important factors were also in play. Additional factors included the lack of relevant content and the perceived lack of personal benefit and social value of Internet service.

This chapter will provide an update of this segmentation and will focus 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 at its underlying demographic patterns. We will shed light on the historical gap in Internet access that separates youth and seniors, low-income and high-income citizens, as well as women and men.