Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1505559
Device Access and Connectivity Gaps for Indigenous Students The digital divide has critically impacted education outcomes for Indigenous youth. The lack of digital connectivity among Indigenous students in Canada can be broken down into four main concerns: internet connectivity, affordability, device access, and digital skills. Internet connectivity Indigenous communities in Canada experience significantly lower levels of internet connectivity. In 2019, 87% of Canadian households, including 99% of urban households and 46% of rural households, had access to internet services that met or exceeded the CRTC's universal service objective (50/10 Mbps download/ upload speed), while only 35% of residents of First Nations reserves had such access. 1 Youth also require internet connections at sufficient speed to conduct schoolwork and stay socially connected. None of Canada's three territories has internet available at the CRTC's speed target of 50/10 Mbps. 2 As one example, according to the 2017 version of the Indigenous Peoples Survey, 68% of Inuit in Inuit Nunangat had internet access at home versus 91% of Inuit living outside that region. 3 In a survey by Media Technology Monitor, 27% of Indigenous peoples in the North report that their ability to access content is always or often affected by the quality of the home internet, compared to 18% of Indigenous peoples outside the North and only 5% of the general population. 4 One contributing factor is that many communities in northern Canada rely on lower-speed satellite technology for internet access rather than fixed internet, though the recent expansion of new providers such as Starlink have provided new hope. 5 Affordability Internet and device affordability concerns also impact Indigenous communities. According to Statistics Canada's Canadian Internet Use Survey (CIUS) in 2021, among those who did not have internet at home and identified as First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit), 42% said the cost of service is the reason, compared to 26% overall. 6 The CIUS also revealed that 27% of those without home internet and who identified as First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit) say the cost of equipment needed to connect is the reason, compared to 12% overall. 7 Building out internet infrastructure alone will not be effective at expanding digital inclusion if marginalized communities facing systematic social inequities continue to struggle with an unequal distribution of digital services, which have become a critical element of today's technology-driven world. Device Access Indigenous peoples in Canada consistently report lower levels of device access. Diversity Institute's survey revealed that 35% of low- income parents, 39% of racialized individuals, and 55% of Indigenous people say their children will have to do their schoolwork on a cellphone, compared to 23% of those with an income above $100,000, 22% of non-racialized and 28% of non-Indigenous people. 8 Moreover, according to the latest CIUS, 12% of those who identify as First Nations, Métis or Inuk (Inuit) said they did not use any digital device in 2020, 44% did not use a laptop and 71% did not use a desktop, 9 which are devices critical for students' ability to complete schoolwork, especially during the pandemic when schools transitioned to online learning. Impact of Connected North's Digital Inclusion Grant on IndigenousStudents' Learning, Social Connection and Community Involvement 8