virtual health care has been a solid addition to the
mental health
tool kit for canadians, however, it only works if those in need can afford cellphones.
in response to the pandemic, mental and physical health services went virtual. for many, this adjustment provided an easier method of accessing their support teams, from time saved on transportation to a greater feeling of security speaking to clinicians from home. however, accessing virtual health services requires a phone and internet connection — something many canadians in need of reliable access to health services have trouble affording.
“many people who are pinching pennies on a monthly basis, with tight budgets, on disability, on social assistance — they just don’t have discretionary income,” says roger mcintyre, professor of psychiatry and pharmacology at the university of toronto. “beyond paying for the staples, they don’t really have enough money to pay for broadband. so there’s a lot of people who could not access mental health in many parts of the country because of a lack of broadband and wifi.”
canadians pay among the
highest wireless fees
in the world. in october 2021, canada was number one in the cost to access 4g cellphones plans, according to
rewheel
, a finnish telecom research firm. sometimes referred to as lte (short for “long term evolution), 4g refers to the fourth generation of
cellular communications
technology and was first made
available in canada
in 2011. it was considered a major improvement over the
groundbreaking 3g plans
, which allowed cellphone users to access multimedia and other internet features. the next generation, 5g, is already beginning to be rolled out in canada, however, it remains to be seen if 5g will continue the trend of high fees.
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