Policies Public-facing policies
Low-Bandwidth and Device Access Policy
Performance targets that keep Map.ca usable on older devices, slower connections, and rural and northern networks.
- Version
- 0.1.0
- Effective
- May 20, 2026
- Last reviewed
- May 20, 2026
- Review cycle
- every 12 months
- Master Policy Index entry
- §4 #47
Policy text
Accessibility includes connectivity. The Low-Bandwidth and Device Access Policy defines the performance budgets Map.ca holds itself to (payload size, time to interactive, offline tolerance), the older device matrix Map.ca supports, the lite-mode path that delivers core functionality without the map surface, and the engineering constraints that prevent feature work from quietly raising the device bar.
It applies to the Map.ca product and engineering teams, and to any partner shipping into a Map.ca surface.
Principles this policy enforces
- Accessibility is infrastructure
- Community benefit must survive scale
What it requires
- Meet documented payload and time-to-interactive budgets on every public surface.
- Provide a lite-mode alternative for the core workflows.
What it forbids
- Do not ship a feature that quietly raises the supported-device bar.
- Do not block core functionality behind heavy assets.
How it applies
- Map.ca product and engineering teams
- Partner integrations
References
- Map.ca Policy Constitution §2 principle 10
Related policies
Accessibility Policy
How Map.ca builds and maintains accessibility for seniors, Deaf, blind, low-vision, mobility-limited, neurodiverse, newcomer, and low-bandwidth users.
Multilingual Access Policy
Map.ca's commitment to French and English official-language access, plus the multilingual layer for newcomer communities.
DeafMap and Sign Language Policy
How Map.ca supports the Deaf community: sign-language layers, captioning, and Deaf-community-led design.