Benefits of Broadband

Mainstream communities in British Columbia generally have much greater access to Internet connectivity than do First Nation communities. This "digital divide” is particularly acute in rural and remote communities. The Pathways to Technology project has emerged out of a commitment to close this gap. The benefits of bringing broadband connectivity to First Nations are considerable:

Health Care

Clinical telehealth applications hold tremendous promise for community members who do not enjoy convenient access to health care services. Remote consults and videoconferencing with physicians and specialists, remote x-ray diagnostics, tele-ophthalmology and integrated health management systems are only a few of the applications that are made possible with broadband connectivity.

Education and Skills Development

Learning opportunities from anywhere in the world become a possibility through distance education programs and real-time interactive access to remote instruction (e.g. videoconference teaching).

Cultural Preservation and Revitalization

Internet connectivity enables many social and cultural initiatives such as documenting language and histories, digitizing museum collections, online research and much more.

Economic Development

Business research, access to economic development programs and access to distant markets are just a few of the benefits that are brought within reach.

Land and Resource Management

Benefits include digital mapping, the ability to develop and to share land use files, and access to a host of public and private research databases.

Critical Infrastructure Monitoring

Benefits include online, real-time monitoring of water quality and the development of green initiatives through centralized energy management.