Factors Associated with Household Internet Use in Canada, 1998-2000

Vik Singh

No 28034, Agriculture and Rural Working Paper Series from Statistics Canada

Abstract: New developments in information and communication technology (ICT) such as the growth of Internet use, have been portrayed as an innovative medium of information exchange and thus providing new opportunities to rural Canadians. However, recent studies have shown that fewer rural Canadians were using the Internet compared to urban Canadians (Thompson-James, 1999; McLaren, 2002). The purpose of this study is to estimate and to analyze the determinants of Internet use by Canadians in order to understand the factors associated with lower Internet use in rural Canada with specific emphasis on whether "rurality" acts as an independent factor on Internet use. A logit model using the "Household Internet Use Survey" (HIUS) from 1998 to 2000 is used to analyze various socioeconomic determinants such as age, household income, location, self-employment and education. Our research indicates that although factors such as low income and an older population restrict Internet use by rural Canadians, "rurality" per se also appears to be a constraint on Internet use in Canada. It is necessary to analyze and understand the determinants of Internet use since this can help public and private agencies in customizing and altering information infrastructure, which can help in increasing Internet use among rural Canadians.

Keywords: Consumer/Household; Economics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 36
Date: 2004
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:ags:scarwp:28034

DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.28034

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