Millions of Canadians don’t have an internet connection, and of those who do, only half of rural households and just a third of First Nation households have access to basic download speed targets of 50 megabits per second (Mbps) and 10 Mbps upload. The Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) is addressing this digital inequity. CIRA manages the .CA internet domain and happens to be one of the few, non-governmental, digital-funding programs in the country — and it just released “How To Fund Digital Equity In Canada: A Guide for Funders.”
The author of the Guide, Maureen James, who manages the Community Investment Program at CIRA, published an article in “The Philanthropist” this week, reviewing some of the major issues.
There is an urgent need to improve access to critical internet resources in underserved communities across Canada, but the digital equity gap can not be bridged by the private sector and governments alone. There is a clear role for philanthropy, too, in addressing these challenges, and a new how-to guide offers a blueprint. –Maureen James, from “How To Fund Digital Equity In Canada: A Guide for Funders”
Online and pdf versions of the CIRA Guide are available.
Wednesday, November 30, 2022 in For homepage, News & Events
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