CRTC’s definition of Internet ‘access’ clouds connectivity statistics, critics say

The CRTC is blurring the true levels of broadband usage across the country with its definition and measurement of broadband Internet “access,” critics say. They say the commission should take a page from Statistics Canada’s book and focus more on the number of Internet connections instead of the number of potential connections. In a decision that set minimum broadband speed targets last month, the CRTC said 95 per cent of Canadian households now have “access” to broadband Internet services. Statistics Canada's Internet use survey for 2010 said just 79 per cent of households “access” the Internet. According to Statistics Canada, “access” means a household has an Internet connection. But according to the CRTC, “access” means that a household has a broadband service available to it, regardless of whether it has a connection. “The CRTC’s usage is deceptive and unfair to the millions of Canadians who can’t afford to get online, or don't have the digital literacy to do so,” David Ellis, a technology consultant and instructor at York University’s department of communication studies, said by email. He said the Statistics Canada definition is more useful. “The relevant figures indicate what proportion of the population has got broadband in the home,” he added in a blog post. John Lawford, research analyst and lawyer with the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), agreed that actual usage is more important than potential usage. “I’d like it to be people actually able to put Google on their screens,” he said. Peggy Nebout, a spokeswoman for the CRTC, said the commission measures access as a matter of availability because it is mandated to do so. She pointed out that the CRTC's reports also indicate Internet connections. The commission's most recent Communications Monitoring Report says 10 million Canadian households had Internet connections in 2009. According to Statistics Canada, there are 12.4 million households in Canada. Ten million out of 12.4 million is 81 per cent. That means the CRTC’s measurement of Internet connections is in line with Statistics Canada’s number of 79 per cent. Bill St. Arnaud, an independent telecommunications consultant, said the CRTC’s use of the word “access” is more accurate than Statistics Canada's. “I’d say Stats Canada should use ‘take up’ as opposed to ‘access,’” he said. Ben Veenhoff, an information society analyst at Statistics Canada, said in an interview that, in preliminary research, the agency found that people understand “access” better than other terms. “We go through a series of focus groups and one-on-one interviews to determine what respondents understand and what they relate to and what provides us with the best measurement,” he said. Ellis said the issue has more to do with usage patterns than access or availability. Usage, he said, is tied to affordability. On his blog, Ellis said Canada seems to be slipping in this regard, noting that OECD numbers show Canada ranked 28 of 33 countries on broadband pricing in 2010, down from 23 in 2009. Ellis said availability is only one piece in the broadband puzzle. Consumers must be aware that the service exists, own a computer to use it, feel comfortable with the technology, and be able to afford it. “The fact alleged by the CRTC that 95 per cent of Canadians enjoy theoretical access to wireline broadband means nothing to the average consumer, let alone a Canadian too poor or technically illiterate to adopt,” he said. Lawford agreed that affordability is a key factor. “That to me is still part of the problem. I don’t think the CRTC is thinking that way anymore.” Broadband Internet pricing can range significantly in Canada depending on the location of the consumer and whether their service is provided through fibre, copper, fixed wireless or satellite networks. St. Arnaud said the CRTC’s and Statistics Canada’s measurements of “access” are both important. “I don’t think one is better than the other. The CRTC one is good to measure Canada’s standing as a nation in terms of other nations ... The Stats Canada one is a measure of the digital divide in Canada.” He said the statistics on the whole indicate how many people sign up for Internet services and enable researchers to investigate why others do not. Ellis said the CRTC should incorporate data such as Statistics Canada’s consumer Internet use survey or Cisco Systems Inc.'s networking indexes into its broadband policy decisions rather than rely on comments from Internet service providers (ISPs) in consultations. “By not using any such material, the commission’s ‘analysis’ of an appropriate broadband speed target looks arbitrary,” Ellis said. news@thewirereport.ca

CRTC’s definition of Internet ‘access’ clouds connectivity statistics, critics say

News | 06/10/2011 8:32 pm EDT

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