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Digital telecommunications infrastructure underlies most, if not all, dimensions of regional economies. Today, the Internet is essential to the well-being of those who live and work in small towns and rural areas. This website is a repository for the activities and resources of the R2B2 Project.

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Activities

Projects:

Guelph Wellington Digital Equity Coalition (GWDEC)
R2B2 is a partner and steering committee member of the GWDEC. The GWDEC is a group of equity-driven community members and organizations who work together to bridge the digital divide. Partners leverage their diverse backgrounds, resources and skills to create innovative solutions for those facing barriers to digital access in Guelph and Wellington County.

Support to the Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology (SWIFT) Project
R2B2 was the research partner to SWIFT: a non-profit municipally-led broadband expansion project created to improve internet connectivity in underserved communities and rural areas across Southwestern Ontario. Our role was to study the economic benefits of broadband investment across the region. Municipalities and citizen groups across the region could call upon R2B2 to join in community engagement and knowledge mobilization on broadband issues relevant to their communities. We engaged University of Guelph students in this important initiative to develop capacity for their future work related to digital opportunities for small communities and rural areas.

Other Activities:

R2B2 Project regularly networks with initiatives on rural broadband across Ontario, Canada and internationally. Some of our co-production of knowledge, peer review and collaborations include:

• Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) – A Path to Better Connectivity (2020)
• Journal of Community Informatics
• Evergreen’s Mid-Size City Research Series (2018)
• Intelligent Communities Forum (ICF) Canada
• Smart Kingston, City of Kingston
• Digital Futures (Alberta) Broadband Portal (2013-2016)

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Publications

Policy Briefs:

• Making the Connection Between Broadband and Property Values
  Issue #4, November 2021
  We examine the role that wireline and wireless broadband connections play in property values in Durham Region, Ontario.
• Broadband Infrastructure Quality Gaps in Ontario Needs-Based Broadband Funding as Economic Stimulus
  Issue #3, November 2020
  Broadband funding must target high-needs communities in Ontario.
• Rural Fibre and 5th Generation Wireless- Substitutes or Complements?
  Issue #2, July 2018
  The development of next (5th) generation (5g) mobile technologies promises to improve wireless data throughput and reduce latency significantly compared to today’s 4G LTE networks.
• Benchmarking Internet Access Infrastructure Quality Gaps in Southwestern Ontario (2017)
  Issue #1, July 2018
  This report provides an empirical assessment of the quality of broadband infrastructure within Southwestern Ontario.

Peer-Reviewed Papers:

• Willingness to pay and pricing for broadband across the rural/urban divide in Canada
  2021
  David Worden, Helen Hambly
• Rural broadband: Gaps, maps and challenges
  2019
  Helen Hambly, Reza Rajabiun
• The rural telecommuter surplus in Southwestern Ontario, Canada
  2019
  Helen Hambly, Jamie Lee
• The Role of Southwestern Ontario Mid-Sized Cities in a Regional and Rural Broadband Partnership
  2018
  Helen Hambly & Jamie Lee, University of Guelph;
  Geoff Hogan, Tammy McQueen & Matt Rapke, Southwestern Integrated Fibre Technology Inc. (SWIFT)

Resources:

• Cost and Demand in the Rural-Urban Broadband Divide
  2021
  David Worden, Helen Hambly
• How Data Gaps (re)Make Rural Broadband Gaps
  2019
  Helen Hambly, Reza Rajabuin

Media:

• Levelling Up with TELUS #4: Dr. Helen Hambly on Agriculture’s Digital Divide
  2022, The Conference Board of Canada
  Link to Apple podcast
  Link to Spotify Podcast
• ‘The iceberg you can’t see’: How a lack of reliable internet is creating a digital divide
  2021, TVO Today
• Building back better, during and after COVID-19, with faster broadband
  2020, The Conversation
• Why is getting- and staying- online still so difficult in eastern Ontario?
  2020, TVO Today
• Ontario’s Broadband Problem
  2020, The Agenda with Steve Paiken
• More than just working in your pyjamas, telecommuting saves time and money
  2018, The Conversation