With the Internet there are several popular themes that convey its potential and importance in society. These themes generally include: entertainment; citizen participation; universal and affordable access; lifelong learning and skills development; increased competitiveness and economic growth; the development of a diversity of Canadian cultural content; new forms of commerce; and access to government and other public services and information, among others.¹² These themes are not unique to the Internet, however. Very similar themes and expectations where expressed at the time of the development of radio and television in Canada. Champions of these technologies at the time advocated the need for a balance between private and public institutions and initiatives for communications development and emphasized the roles for both public and private intermediaries to achieve a diversity of information to meet the diverse needs of the public. The attributes and potential benefits of these earlier technologies were remarkably similar to that of the Internet, as expressed by Graham Spry: “the cultivation of public opinion, of education, and entertainment, and make the home not merely a billboard, but a theatre, a concert hall, a club, a public meeting, a school, a university”.¹³ A core theme underlining our historical policy approaches to communications was the importance of diverse public and private information resources because of information’s importance as the prime integrating factor of people in society; it creates a shared culture, is central to social organization and participation at all levels. The important historical lesson in this for the Internet is how information intermediaries are organized, and who operates them, are key considerations because this affects the potential to realize economic and social objectives.¹⁴ Where access has been the focus of the past several years, and will continue to be with respect to the digital divide, content and information diversity are the critical issues for the next stage of Internet development.

With an awareness of historical context, social relations involving the Internet are, in some ways, a continuation of those involving other media and of federal policy involving communication, social and economic development and participation. From the outset of its development in the early part of past century, modern communications has been seen as essential for the achievement of such objectives as national unity, social development and cultural expression. Since the 1960’s, national and economic development and cultural development and expression have formed the general federal communication policy framework. Canada has been very successful over the past two decades in creating a world leading industry through industrial development programs and initiatives. As we move forward with the Internet, and consider the president high demand for social, cultural and civic information, a policy questions arises about whether, in addition to significant economic development of the Internet, sufficient ground work has been undertaken to realize the full potential for local, regional and individual content needs and forms of expression, social development and citizen participation. Still in an early state of development, the Internet offers many policy opportunities to adopt innovative policy, regulatory and program approaches to this end. This could include initiatives that combine the social, economic and cultural objectives of different mandates and legislation across government to the development and availability of relevant content and services, and to facilitate the strategic integration of online technology into social organizations and relationships in ways that support broad-based social and economic development.¹⁵

¹² Canada, Preparing Canada for a Digital World, IHAC Final Report, 1997:46-51.
¹³ Spry in Babe, R., Communication and the Transformation of Economics, 1995: 213.
¹⁴ Babe, R., Communication and the Transformation of Economics, 1995: 213,215.
¹⁵ Raboy, M., "Cultural Sovereignty, Public Participation and Democratization of the Public Sphere: The Canadian Debate on the New Information Infrastructure", 1996, pp. 1,5,6,9,15.