The digital divide
Canada ranks 17th among OECD countries for broadband speed and 24th for rural coverage. Despite $6 billion in federal funding, 11 percent of households still lack high-speed access.
| Metric | Urban | Rural | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadband coverage ≥ 50/10 Mbps | 99 % | 89 % | CRTC 2025 Communications Monitoring |
| Median download speed (Mbps) | 169 | 68 | Ookla Q2 2025 |
| Cloud adoption (% of firms >100 employees) | 76 | 42 | Statistics Canada Digital Economy Survey 2025 |
Why it matters
Connectivity now drives productivity as much as capital. A World Bank study shows that every 10 percent increase in broadband penetration raises GDP per capita by 0.9 percent.
What leaders can do
- Benchmark digital intensity across operations; lagging regions get priority.
- Leverage public-private programs like Canada’s Universal Broadband Fund to co-finance rural expansion.
- Invest in cybersecurity resilience. Ransomware claims grew 47 percent in 2024.
- Adopt 5G/edge architectures to enable IoT manufacturing and logistics.
Arcus Insight: Digital infrastructure is Canada’s next trans-continental railway—build it, or lose competitiveness.