Canada North Poses a Special Challenge to Technology Adoption

Andrea Wood | May 26, 2006, 09:30 AM

Canada’s north faces a number of obstacles to technology adoption. Incomes aren’t sufficient to cover the cost of a computer, or the service to power the Internet. Plus, actually getting equipment can be a challenge. A government of Canada website states that “Transport can only be accomplished by ship in the very short ice-free season between June/July and September.” So devices and service are either too expensive, or very hard to get.

Despite these realities, a new WiFi service is being offered to Iqaluit’s 7,000 strong population. The service is available for free, but doesn’t really pose a threat to paid service. (The signal is apparently so weak that it can’t compete with paid broadband service for consumer dollars.) Free service is great. It provides a population with limited opportunity to access the Internet a chance to experience a technology that is widespread in the south. Better yet, the service is helping residents get access to banking. There’s massive physical distances barring many residents from using a bank. Only three of twenty-five Nunavut communities have a teller. Can you believe that? Residents resort to various storage mechanisms around the home. How safe.

Wireless access to banking could really change the way residents can bank. Better yet, online banking could be customized to local language (there are several written variations), which could encourage more residents to get/maintain a bank account. Now to ensure that these residents have access to WiFi enabled computers…This is one ambitious, but important effort.