Looking beyond digital broadband speeds: Rural British Columbian’s experiences with internet connectivity as a basic necessity

Kathy L. Rush, Cherisse L. Seaton, Angeliki-Iliana Louloudi, Eric Ping Hung Li, Khalad Hasan · 2025 · PLoS ONE

Summary. Rural British Columbians with and without high-speed internet show more similarities than differences in digital readiness and confidence. Those without high-speed access tend to be older, more remote, use fewer devices, and experience more frustration, yet use the internet at comparable frequencies. Both groups recognize connectivity benefits but report disconnects between expectations and reality of high-speed internet service.

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Rush, K. L., Seaton, C. L., Louloudi, A., Li, E. P. H., & Hasan, K.. (2025). Looking beyond digital broadband speeds: Rural British Columbian’s experiences with internet connectivity as a basic necessity. PLoS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330347

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  title   = {Looking beyond digital broadband speeds: Rural British Columbian’s experiences with internet connectivity as a basic necessity},
  author  = {Kathy L. Rush and Cherisse L. Seaton and Angeliki-Iliana Louloudi and Eric Ping Hung Li and Khalad Hasan},
  journal = {PLoS ONE},
  year    = {2025},
  doi     = {10.1371/journal.pone.0330347},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0330347}
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Details

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0330347
Countries: Canada
Regions: North America
Categories: broadband-and-digital, rural-data-and-definitions
Added: 2026-04-28