Canada is losing its online edge because companies are too slow to adapt, report says

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OTTAWA — A new report warns that Canada is losing its international edge on the Internet because businesses are slow to take up digital technology.

The Internet Association points out that Canadians are among the biggest users of the Internet in the world and have embraced online retail services.

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Canada is losing its online edge because companies are too slow to adapt, report says Back to video

The report says despite this, Canadian businesses aren’t using digital technology to nearly the same extent as competitors in other countries.

For example, only 3% of the Canadian retail economy is online compared with 23% in the United Kingdom.

The government recently unveiled its long awaited digital strategy, called Digital Canada 150, but the Internet Association says it must move quickly to make up for lost time.

The report recommends a Digital Renovation Tax Credit to help businesses adopt digital technologies, as well as a more business-friendly approach to online privacy laws.