Digital Divide

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Huawei says it wants to bring high-speed internet in Canada's North . But some people are worried this gift from China, could be a Trojan Horse .

Want to take a look at the latest viral hit on YouTube? You transfer money online? Video chat with your grandma?

don't hold your breath, if you live in Iqaluit, say, the inhabitants of the town of 7,500, located just over 300 km (186 miles) from the Arctic Circle .

"It is still very fragile, a single event can be the cause for mass failure, where people can't send or receive E-Mails, people can't get money from the ATM, people can't buy gasoline or food in the store," says The Mayor , Madeleine Redfern .

Iqaluit is not the only place to go online.

According to the Canadian Government about 5. 4 million people, or 15% of the population, do not have high-speed internet and most of them live in the North or in remote, rural areas.

for decades, corporate investments in the construction of the digital infrastructure in rural and remote areas lagged, which means that, while the rest of the country was racing the water were kicking full force into the digital age, places Like Iqaluit.

"you can't stop just because you have a certain level of service. You have to keep, otherwise you will fall behind," Redfern.

the solution to the problem has become a key promise in the liberal Government 's campaign for re-election in October

The Government has promised to bring high-speed internet access for all households to 2031, and in The Last year, the budget promised a total of C$6bn ($4. 5 billion, £3. 7bn) to help close these connections to share, including $1. 7 billion in new funds.

That puts a bullseye on the North , as several companies are vying for public funds to build everything from satellites to fiber-optic cables.

"It's a real battle now, where the state's investment to go - there are to win a lot of money," says Laura tribe, the executive director of internet advocacy group open media.

will win, But what projects and who to involve, you could come to The Future of The Internet in Canada for a long time.

The fight for the speed

With so much information available at The Click of a mouse, it is not easy to forget that The Internet towers, some of the essential matrix of neon and nano-bytes, but a great network, cable, storage, and mobile phone.

And Like any piece of complex physical infrastructure, construction and maintenance of The Internet is not cheap.

In rural and remote areas, such as Canada's Arctic, it means that companies or governments will have to spend a lot of money for a relatively small customer base.

High-speed fibre cables are fewer and farther between, and many communities in the North rely on satellite, which focuses exclusively on the connection, and their coverage is often spotty, slow, and expensive.

The Huawei solution

While some companies See the North as a headache, others - such as Huawei , a digital infrastructure provider with Close Ties to China Government - See it as an opportunity.

Huawei Canada announced In July that it will expand its partnership with local telecommunications company ICE wireless and Iristel, a satellite network coverage of 70 municipalities in the North .

Huawei is one of the largest telecommunications equipment and services providers in The World

The Project was approved by the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) Canada's cybersecurity authority

one Such challenge tax the house is also within The Company - currently, Huawei is one of the main tech provider of 4G wireless in rural America.

"The Company , which is the backbone of the trunk says an incredible position of power". "So is it not really surprising that companies recognize The Power of the provision of internet connectivity. "

But The Announcement has also raised eyebrows.

Canada has been dragged into the diplomatic tensions with China since the arrest of the chief technology officer Meng Wanzhou , the Canadian authorities at the behest of the United States.

Ms Meng faces extradition to the US on fraud charges

the United States want to be The tech executive delivered before the court, on charges including fraud in connection with the alleged violation of sanctions against Iran.

Shortly after their arrest, the Chinese authorities have arrested two Canadians and accused them of espionage.

This has expressed concerns that The Arctic could become a pawn in a chess game between the two Nations, especially as they probably have a monopoly provider in the region, says political scientist Michael Byers , whose research at the University of British Columbia focuses on Northern issues.

"This is a vulnerability in The Event of an escalated Canada-China-dispute, where Huawei could possibly be ordered to shut down those services, the cut in the Canadian Arctic communities from The Internet ," he told the BBC.

in the meantime, as The World gets ready for 5G mobile and wireless communications networks in different countries to debate the security implications of Huawei technology.

The United States and Australia, the companies are prohibited from providing tech telecommunications, while India and Britain are considering a similar decision.

The concern is that The Company the use of its 5G networks, the spy carry a significantly higher volume of data, and pave the way for things Like driverless cars and smart cities, of foreign citizens at The Request of the Chinese Government .

Redfern thinks this is a risk, Iqaluit, you should not have to meet alone.

"There is a tremendous amount of policy and trade uncertainty with China at the moment. We don't have to Be Careful , we stage ourselves, Our Country and the Northern countries are in danger, just because Canada is willing to provide the full investment in the Northern regions," she says.

look to the sky

Byers believes that a solution for the North is suffering The Internet come from space, not in China.

Floating-2,000 km above The Planet in low-Earth-orbit satellites much faster internet than older technology satellites, such as Huawei in the North .

There are several satellite-broadband projects in the development of

SpaceX, the UK-based startup, OneWeb, and Amazon are all starting their own low-earth-orbit satellite into space in the next few years.

And In July , the Canadian Government has announced that it will invest $85m in a Canadian low-Earth-orbit satellite company, Telesat.

But Byers is hit by Huawei project in the North of this new, better technology Out could push before you have started.

"Huawei come in the same municipalities with a low-cost, lower-tech version, and Huawei are going to be there first," he says.

Bridging the Digital Divide

Canada is not fighting the only country to overcome the Digital Divide .

There are disconnected areas in remote parts of Brazil, Mexico and India, and even in the UK. to help

And there are many companies, including Huawei , are ready.

Microsoft, Google, Amazon and Facebook have all launched projects to connect the people in developing countries.

"it means more and more people are online, that more and more users to Google and Facebook products," says Ramesh Srinivasan, a professor at UCLA, whose new book deals with issues of digital democracy around the globe.

With almost everyone in the developed cities connected to The Internet , rural communities and communities in developing countries are The Last untapped markets for internet service providers.

In Huawei 's case, it is not only an economic incentive, but a political one, says Adam Segal , the Director of the digital and cyberspace policy program at The Council on Foreign Relations.

"I think the Chinese See in the cyberspace and the digital environment is of crucial importance and you want to make sure that you can make it, in The Future , as you need," he says.

But for Canadians in the North , there is no time to worry about The Future of The Internet , while you are stuck waiting for his presence.

nunavut, canada, canada election 2019

Source of news: bbc.com