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New Digital Ontario Website:  www.digitalontario.mgs.gov.on.ca

Dear Colleague,

Over the course of recent discussions, workshops and conferences on broadband in Ontario, many of our partners and stakeholders from across academia, the ICT industry, rural communities and small businesses have noted the need for a Website through which to share documents and ideas, and collaborate on issues relating to broadband promotion and use.

I am pleased to inform you that the Ministry of Government Services has launched an interactive Website designed to serve as a repository of information and vehicle for identifying emerging opportunities and best practices for using high-speed connectivity to produce economic and social value, and improve the delivery of government services. 

On the Website you will find the many presentations, papers, and toolkits, etc., that have resulted from our collaborative broadband research activities. A draft paper on Digital Divide and Access Issues: Interim Research Findings, provides highlights and an overview of the research to date. Users are encouraged to provide feedback and suggestions for additional content.

To facilitate an ongoing community of broadband knowledge and practice in Ontario, the website also includes some key interactive functionality and features:

• Video: coverage of program events, speakers, conferences; videos explaining Web 2.0 tools and other areas of interest - including the ability to watch, rate, comment and submit your own videos.
• Discussion Forums:  discussion boards on topics of interest including broadband and digital literacy, social innovation, the green economy. You can join an existing discussion or create your own topic.
• E-panels: information on upcoming web-based, expert-led seminars, including an archive of previous events.
• Wiki: interactive tool allowing registered users to provide their comments and input to the Interim Research Findings paper.
• Quick Surveys: online polls for quick input to strategic research, documents uploaded and specific topics.
• Comments: feedback from users on information displayed at the site.
• Ratings: user ratings on various site content.

As some of the features listed above require registration, I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes to register and bookmark the site for returning visits. The site can also serve as a valuable resource for finding up-to-date reports, research studies, news and events in Ontario and internationally regarding a range of broadband related topics.

Digital Ontario is not about us, it’s about you! We have a great collection of content, but we hope the site will grow bigger with your active participation. Get registered today as we expect you to be not just a visitor, but also a regular content contributor to the site. 

Barb Swartzentruber
Strategic Projects Manager
Ministry of Government Services
www.digitalontario.mgs.gov.on.ca