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Members of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now Canada (ACORN) in Nova Scotia, Quebec, Ontario and British Columbia held actions to highlight the need for affordable access to the Internet.
Toronto (19 Nov. 2014) — Members of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) Canada from across the country held a series of "Wifi ins" to give the Harper government a failing grade when it comes to closing the digital divide in Canada. Targeted actions are being held against Shaw, Bell, and Eastlink.
Compared to other countries, Canada’s Internet speeds are low, prices are high, and the plan for connectivity lacks ambition. (see backgrounder).
Obama pushing for accessible Internet access in the U.S. — in Canada, Harper does nothing
There is growing political pressure in the United States to make the internet a public utility. President Obama is calling on the Federal Communications Commission to implement new rules to protect the Internet and its affordability. In Canada, there has been leadership from the federal government to pressure the telecom giants to close the digital divide between those who can afford service, and the many who cannot.
“It is absurd that Bell’s CEO makes $10 million a year while many people can’t afford Internet at home. We need it for doing homework, getting your tax forms, looking for a job — it needs to be affordable for all residents!” said ACORN member Kelly Lalande.
Canada's international ranking has severely declined since Conservatives have been in office
Canada's international standing in public access to broadand internet services has seriously declined since the current Conservative Government came to power. In 2003 Canada was second among the 34 OECD countries in broadband penetration. In 2014 we had dropped to 24th among OECD countries.
According to Michael Geist, Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law, "the OECD data has Canada ranking poorly for wireless broadband subscriptions when compared to the rest of the developed economy world. The OECD release comes one week after a CRTC sponsored report found that Canadian wireless pricing is among the most expensive in the G7 in every tier of usage.
Seven countries, including Finland, Australia, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, Korea, and the U.S., have at least one subscription for every inhabitant. In Canada, the number drops to 53.3 subscriptions for every 100 inhabitants. That places Canada 24th out of 34 OECD countries."
The digital divide in Canada
According to a Statistics Canada survey, 42 per cent of households in the lowest quartile of $30,000 or less do not have home Internet access.
This “digital divide” excludes low-income individuals and families from what the United Nations now considers to be a human right, comparable with freedom of speech. In 2012, Statistics Canada reported that 37 per cent of people used the Internet for formal education, training, or school work; 36 per cent for searching for employment; and 63 per cent used the Internet for visiting or interacting with government websites.
ACORN Canada is among the nation's largest organizations of low- and moderate-income families, with over 59,000 members in more than 20 communities working together for social and economic justice. The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE), and its Components, are supporters of ACORN.
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NUPGE
The National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) is one of Canada's largest labour organizations with over 340,000 members. Our mission is to improve the lives of working families and to build a stronger Canada by ensuring our common wealth is used for the common good. NUPGE