Albertans, and Calgarians in particular, are among the leading users of the Internet in Canada,

according to the StasCan Canadian Internet Use Survey published on 12th June 2008.

See http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/080612/d080612b.htm for details.

Although BC (78%) overtook Alberta (77%) in Provincial rankings, in Calgary 85% of people over 16 use the internet regularly, at home, at work or elsewhere. More than 4 out of 5 Calgarians (81.1%) have a home internet connection, compared with the provincial average of 73.3%.

But the averages hide part of the picture: the digital divide remains strong with young educated urban residents using the technology more heavily and having faster connections available. Outside Calgary and Edmonton, only about 2/3 of the population have internet in the home. If we move beyond cities like Red Deer and Grande Prairie we are certain that the percentage drops yet again.

Unfortunately StatsCan’s sample is not big enough to give us accurate information about rural Alberta. But we know that even if the data are not there, the dissatisfaction is. Many rural residents and businesses remain frustrated that they have to rely on slow and expensive dial-up or satellite services to access the internet and so are unable to access many of the popular new “web 2.0” sites.

While StatsCan’s data point to some of the problems in rural Alberta, their survey misses one aspect of Internet use. Thanks to the fibre-optic Alberta SuperNet, Alberta schools lead in the application of videoconferencing for regular classes in remote schools, education enrichment, professional services for special needs students and administration.