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• 1. Access to the Information Highway Archived

  Articles and reports: 63F0002X1996009

  Description:

  Technological advances and changes in the regulatory environment lead to convergence between the telecommunications, broadcasting and computer services sectors. The Information Highway will allow people to search for employment, pay their bills, book their travel arrangements, purchase goods and services, consult civil service advisors, use interactive educational and entertainment services and much more from their home. The Information Highway Advisory Council report recommends universal access at affordable prices as a policy objective, so that every Canadian, and not just a privileged few, may enjoy the benefits.

  Telephone and cable networks are expected to be the backbone of the Information Highway infrastructure. However, households need to have terminals, such as computers and modems, which will be connected to the networks. The paper analyzes the characteristics of those Canadian households that have already made the decision to purchase and use these terminal devices. Telephone, cable, computer and modem penetration rates are examined with respect to several economic and socio-demographic variables, such as income, education, employment status, age, family composition, provincial and residential location. This helps to identify the major determinants behind these choices which, in turn, can assist the design of policies towards universal access. Telephone penetration is nearly complete and cable penetration is quite high. Although computer and modem penetration rates are much lower they are increasing fast. There is a very strong relationship between household income and computer and modem penetration rates, and education exerts an influence independent of income. Age has had important effects that are independent of income, and its influence will continue to be felt as the age distribution of the population changes in the future. Household composition also plays a role, and households in urban areas are better equipped than households in rural areas.

  Release date: 1998-11-20

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• 2. Computers, Fax Machines and Wages in Canada: What Really Matters? Archived

  Articles and reports: 11F0019M1998126

  Geography: Canada

  Description:

  Controlling for observable worker attributes, we find that computer use is associated with a wage premium of at most 14%. Following Dinardo and Pischke (1997), we examine the wage premium associated with other tools used on the job. While these authors find a significant wage premium for the use of pencils or for sitting down while working, we find a substantial and robust wage premium for the use of a fax machine. Using a variety of reasonable specifications of wage equations including both a computer use indicator and a fax use indicator, we consistently find a stronger effect for fax machines than for computers. Along with Dinardo and Pischke (1997), we argue that workers who use computers earn more than other employees not because of their computing skills per se, but rather because they have more other unobserved skills - innate or learned through school - than other employees.

  Release date: 1998-10-27

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• 1. Access to the Information Highway Archived

  Articles and reports: 63F0002X1996009

  Description:

  Technological advances and changes in the regulatory environment lead to convergence between the telecommunications, broadcasting and computer services sectors. The Information Highway will allow people to search for employment, pay their bills, book their travel arrangements, purchase goods and services, consult civil service advisors, use interactive educational and entertainment services and much more from their home. The Information Highway Advisory Council report recommends universal access at affordable prices as a policy objective, so that every Canadian, and not just a privileged few, may enjoy the benefits.

  Telephone and cable networks are expected to be the backbone of the Information Highway infrastructure. However, households need to have terminals, such as computers and modems, which will be connected to the networks. The paper analyzes the characteristics of those Canadian households that have already made the decision to purchase and use these terminal devices. Telephone, cable, computer and modem penetration rates are examined with respect to several economic and socio-demographic variables, such as income, education, employment status, age, family composition, provincial and residential location. This helps to identify the major determinants behind these choices which, in turn, can assist the design of policies towards universal access. Telephone penetration is nearly complete and cable penetration is quite high. Although computer and modem penetration rates are much lower they are increasing fast. There is a very strong relationship between household income and computer and modem penetration rates, and education exerts an influence independent of income. Age has had important effects that are independent of income, and its influence will continue to be felt as the age distribution of the population changes in the future. Household composition also plays a role, and households in urban areas are better equipped than households in rural areas.

  Release date: 1998-11-20

  ---

• 2. Computers, Fax Machines and Wages in Canada: What Really Matters? Archived

  Articles and reports: 11F0019M1998126

  Geography: Canada

  Description:

  Controlling for observable worker attributes, we find that computer use is associated with a wage premium of at most 14%. Following Dinardo and Pischke (1997), we examine the wage premium associated with other tools used on the job. While these authors find a significant wage premium for the use of pencils or for sitting down while working, we find a substantial and robust wage premium for the use of a fax machine. Using a variety of reasonable specifications of wage equations including both a computer use indicator and a fax use indicator, we consistently find a stronger effect for fax machines than for computers. Along with Dinardo and Pischke (1997), we argue that workers who use computers earn more than other employees not because of their computing skills per se, but rather because they have more other unobserved skills - innate or learned through school - than other employees.

  Release date: 1998-10-27

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