When the global pandemic swept across the world in 2020, it revealed vulnerabilities in various areas that may not have been given much thought. One of these areas, as highlighted in a recent report by Cisco, is digital inequity.
As businesses shut down and people were confined to their homes, the digital economy became crucial for staying connected. However, individuals in rural, remote, and Indigenous communities faced the greatest challenges due to limited access.
It is easy to overlook these factors when considering Canada as a whole. On the international stage, Canada is performing well. According to Cisco’s Digital Readiness Index (DRI), which evaluates a country’s progress towards a digital society based on seven components, Canada ranks 17th out of 146 countries.
“Canada’s digital readiness performance remains strong and consistent at a global level, indicating that we are investing in critical areas that will propel us forward and keep us competitive,” said Shannon Leininger, President of Cisco Canada in the Cisco Canada Digital Readiness Index 2023.
However, the story is significantly different when analyzing each province and territory individually.
Understanding the Breakdown
The DRI examines seven components: basic needs, business and government investment, ease of doing business, human capital (skilled workforce), start-up environment, technology adaptation, and technology infrastructure. The higher the collective score, the more prepared each province and territory is for a technology-focused future.
British Columbia (B.C.) has the highest DRI score (1.71) and ranks first in the ease of doing business, start-up environment, and technology adoption categories.
Quebec ranks second (1.00) and excels in the basic needs, business and government investment, and technology infrastructure categories. Ontario follows closely behind in third place (0.98), while Alberta is labeled as having a “high” DRI score with 0.83.
Prince Edward Island (P.E.I), Yukon, and Nova Scotia each have a “medium” DRI score.
Image credit: Cisco
Manitoba ranks eighth and is the first province to score below the national average (-0.34). However, the report acknowledges its young population and labor force participation as significant strengths.
New Brunswick is ninth (-0.49), with its lowest score in the business and government investment category, the lowest score in the entire country. The Northwest Territories ranks tenth (-0.60) and has the lowest scores for technology adoption and technology infrastructure in Canada.
Saskatchewan is placed eleventh (-0.62) and requires improvement in the start-up environment and technology adaptation categories.
Newfoundland and Labrador have the second-lowest overall score at -0.73 and are “significantly below the national average.”
Nunavut has the lowest score (-2.28) among all provinces and territories in Canada. This score reinforces the necessity for all levels of government to address the basic needs of the population and establish a strong foundation for digital readiness.
Implications for Canada as a Whole
The varying pace of progress across the 13 provinces and territories indicates a lack of economic and social opportunities throughout the country, which poses a risk.
“If governments and policy-makers do not address this gap with sustained focus and investment, regions in Canada with the lowest levels of digital readiness will fall further behind, compromising Canada’s position in digital leadership,” warns the report.
Image credit: Cisco
While the report acknowledges the steps taken by the federal government, such as its Connectivity Strategy, it emphasizes the need to prioritize rural, Northern, and Indigenous communities within these initiatives. The program consists of two components: providing mobile coverage across the country and ensuring residents have broadband download speeds of at least 50Mbps and upload speeds of 10Mbps.
“Even in provinces and territories with high levels of high-speed connectivity, rural and remote communities are disproportionately affected. Without adequate access to high-speed internet in these areas, the connectivity gap in Canada will continue to widen,” warns the report.
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Deepak Sen is a tech enthusiast who covers the latest technological innovations, from AI to consumer gadgets. His articles provide readers with a glimpse into the ever-evolving world of technology.
