| | Broadband technology is a key to enhancing competitiveness of an economy and sustaining economic growth. In the realm of government, broadband applications are promising to enhance the delivery of public services to citizens. Cognizant of broadband technology in enhancing competitiveness of an economy and sustaining economic growth, governments all over the world, including Canada, have been applying Information and Communication Technology (ICT) for e-government and e-management.
The Government of Alberta and its municipalities have also taken great strides to harness the implementation and the use of broadband technologies to enhance the delivery of public services to citizens. In this context a research project “Broadband as a catalyst for e-government-A Case Study of Five Rural Municipalities in Alberta” was conducted from June - December 2009. The purpose of this research project was to collect information on broadband usage for e-government, its development stages, and best practices adopted by the rural municipalities of Alberta. The study provides information to devise a strategy for the deployment and promotion of the concept of modern and effective e-government in social and economic development of rural municipalities and placing them as leaders in e-government and broadband usage.
Five rural municipalities in Alberta, the Municipal District of Peace No.135, Smoky Lake County, the County of Thorhild, Mountain View County and Parkland County, were selected for this project. These rural municipalities were selected strategically to represent a range of social, economic, and geographical features. The research was based on information available on their websites and provided by municipal officials. A case study approach was used to conduct this research.
The research found that the rural municipalities selected for this study are putting forth great effort to introduce the latest ICT to enhance the service delivery system for their citizens. The municipalities are at various stages of broadband development and e-government. The websites vary considerably in terms of their technological design as well as content. All have a web presence and include a substantial amount of basic information about the municipality, the council and the services they provide. All five municipalities provide information to their residents in a user-friendly manner. Parkland and Mountain View clearly had more developed websites. Links to other government services is another important feature present on almost all of the websites.
Future expansion of municipal broadband usage faces many challenges including lack of leadership, lack of technical expertise, outdated technology, equipment and lack of finance. Demographic characteristics and rural attitudes towards the usage of broadband also pose challenge for the rural municipalities.
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