Conquering the digital divide will elevate B.C. into becoming a tech mecca

Alexandra Samuel
Thursday, March 21, 2002

Imagine living your life without ever being able to use a telephone again. The Internet is rapidly becoming more important than the telephone as a means of communicating with family and friends, gathering crucial information, or doing business. But for hundreds of thousands of British Columbians, there is still no dial tone.

They are on the other side of the "digital divide," the Internet-era gap between the haves and have-nots. Six months ago, Premier Gordon Campbell decided to tackle the digital divide in by asking for recommendations from the Premier's Technology Council. In January, the council began its public consultations on this crucial challenge. In its first report, issued in November, the council looked at the digital divide in the context of a broader vision of B.C. as a potential leader in the digital economy.

The council's goals include not only closing the digital divide, but also putting government online, fostering the growth of technology industries and promoting B.C. as a high-tech province.

While conquering the digital divide remains the most difficult of these challenges, it is also the one with the greatest potential payoff. The more British Columbians are online, the more success we will have in positioning ourselves as global technology leaders.

In a few weeks, the council will report its findings. That's when we'll see whether the government will focus on promoting a few tech companies, or ensuring that technology access is a reality for all British Columbians.

Physical access to the Internet is the first part of this challenge. Computer prices may have fallen, but a home computer is still out of reach for many people who are struggling just to get by. And owning a computer is no guarantee of Internet access, although in some areas community networks provide the option of free access to the 'Net.

Public libraries, schools, community centres and Internet cafes offer alterative points for accessing the Internet for those without a home computer. But anyone who has ever used a public terminal knows that it is no substitute for home access. Public access points may be a useful last resort, but they are too crowded, controlled and inconvenient to offer reliable access to the Internet.

Closing the digital divide means giving all British Columbians the opportunity to integrate the Internet into their daily lives. And we can't expect that the hundreds of thousands of British Columbians without Internet access are going to stop by the library everyday to check their e-mail.

That means that we're all going to have play a role in getting computers into many more homes. Companies can start programs to give free or cheap computers to all their employees -- just like Delta Airlines and the U.S. Postal Service have done. Community groups can run recycling programs to donate used computers to needy families. And the government can offer tax credits that make it easier for poorer households to get online.

Placing a computer in every home is an ambitious goal, but it is only one piece of the larger puzzle. A home computer is only useful to someone who knows how to use it. We need to close the digital divide between people with the skills to use e-mail, find online information, and manage data, and people who barely know how to turn on a computer.

This means ensuring that every kid graduates from school knowing how to do online research. It means ensuring that adults can use e-mail and web browsers. It means ensuring that all of us continue to improve our Internet skills so that this province remains at the forefront of a digital Canada.

Sending everyone to a computer class is not answer. Schools do have a major role to play in incorporating Internet skills into the classroom. But community centres can also offer after-school programs that build on the skills kids learn in school. Employers can help workers learn to use those desktop PCs for more than just word processing and spreadsheets. The government can fund training programs for seniors, non-English speakers, unemployed people and others who fall between the cracks of conventional training.

The digital divide can only be closed through the marriage of physical Internet access and skills training -- a marriage that will also ensure B.C.'s digital-era competitiveness.

A skilled workforce that has daily access to the Internet attracts high-tech industry. A population of Internet users is a market that fosters thriving technology companies. A province full of digitally savvy citizens makes for a smooth transition to online government, and for efficient use of cost-effective online services. And a universally high-tech, high-skill, electronically governed B.C. will garner world-wide attention and praise.

We can realize this broader vision of B.C. as a tech mecca. Let's hope the council sees that closing the digital divide will be the engine of our success.