Vancouverites are the most likely to use the Internet at home, Toronto has the most gadget users, and East Coasters are the least likely to have a house full of tech toys, according to a new report.
A regional comparison of tech trends by the Media Technology Monitor, a product of CBC/Radio-Canada and BBM Analytics, found usage and buying habits range significantly across the country.
About 91 per cent of Vancouver residents over 18 have Internet access at home, compared to the national average of 85 per cent among anglophones, and 80 per cent of francophones living in Quebec. Those least likely to have Internet access at home were francophones living outside Quebec, with only 71 per cent connected. They also had the highest usage of old-fashioned dial-up access.
When it comes to discovering the latest and greatest, it was Toronto residents who were generally found to be the most eager early adopters. “Torontonians appear to more tech-savvy than other areas of Canada,” says the report.
“They are more likely to own smartphones and iPads, watch online TV and video on demand, and listen to streamed audio and podcasts.”
Toronto has the highest proportion of smartphone users in the country with 37 per cent of local residents owning one, compared to the national anglophone average of 29 per cent.
Thirty-eight per cent of Toronto residents said they watched Internet TV recently, compared to the national anglophone average of 32 per cent. Toronto was also the Canadian epicentre of tweeting with 13 per cent of residents having Twitter accounts compared to the national anglophone average of eight per cent.
When it comes to lovers of big screen TVs, the respondents in Saskatchewan and Manitoba were tops. They were the most likely to own a high-definition television, with 61 per cent having at least one compared to the 54 per cent national anglophone average.
On the other end of the spectrum, the people with the fewest tech products were found in the East.
“Atlantic Canadians are less likely to have the latest technologies, such as iPods, smartphones, Blu-ray and HD receivers,” the report notes.
“They are also less likely to use video-on-demand services, watch TV online, listen to audio on a cellphone and podcasts.”
But East Coast residents did rank high in listening to streaming audio and were slightly above average in Facebook usage.