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Finland makes broadband a 'legal right'

Quote:

Finland has become the first country in the world to make broadband a legal right for every citizen.

From 1 July every Finn will have the right to access to a 1Mbps (megabit per second) broadband connection.

Finland has vowed to connect everyone to a 100Mbps connection by 2015.

In the UK the government has promised a minimum connection of at least 2Mbps to all homes by 2012 but has stopped short of enshrining this as a right in law.

The Finnish deal means that from 1 July all telecommunications companies will be obliged to provide all residents with broadband lines that can run at a minimum 1Mbps speed.

Broadband commitment

Speaking to the BBC, Finland's communication minister Suvi Linden explained the thinking behind the legislation: "We considered the role of the internet in Finns everyday life. Internet services are no longer just for entertainment.

"Finland has worked hard to develop an information society and a couple of years ago we realised not everyone had access," she said.

It is believed up to 96% of the population are already online and that only about 4,000 homes still need connecting to comply with the law.

In the UK internet penetration stands at 73%.

The British government has agreed to provide everyone with a minimum 2Mbps broadband connection by 2012 but it is a commitment rather than a legally binding ruling.

"The UK has a universal service obligation which means virtually all communities will have broadband," said a spokesman for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

Making broadband a legal right could have implications for countries that plan tough action on illegal file-sharing.

Both the UK and France have said they may cut off or limit the internet connections of people who persistently download music or films for free.

The Finnish government has adopted a more gentle approach.

"We will have a policy where operators will send letters to illegal file-sharers but we are not planning on cutting off access," said Ms Linden.

A poll conducted for the BBC World Service earlier this year found that almost four in five people around the world believed that access to the internet is a fundamental right.

I've written to my MP saying pretty much the same thing and even linking this article. I hope it's something we can get across close minded mp's.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MajinHurricane (Post 7017538)

I've written to my MP saying pretty much the same thing and even linking this article. I hope it's something we can get across close minded mp's.

I like the idea but how would you get broadband to remote communities like places up north?

Why? You're still using a 14.4kb/s connection?

We only have 6 times as many people as Finland while our landmass is around 30 times as big as Finland.

Quote:

Originally Posted by impactX (Post 7017596)

Why? You're still using 14.4kb/s connection?

I think you misread the article.

lol... those wacky europeans

Quote:

Originally Posted by MajinHurricane (Post 7017538)

I've written to my MP saying pretty much the same thing and even linking this article. I hope it's something we can get across close minded mp's.

Got nothing better to do?

Quote:

Originally Posted by MajinHurricane (Post 7017538)

I've written to my MP saying pretty much the same thing and even linking this article. I hope it's something we can get across close minded mp's.

lol it'll be way to expensive / economically unfeasible for telephone companies to upgrade all the infrastructure just to support few customers to go on broadband connections which means that they'll either charge all their customers more so that those few people can get online if it becomes a law or the government will have to give them massive subsidies

i dont think its good idea to make Broadband Connection a legal right... maybe in a big city its good, but if you want it to cover the entire nation, its ridiculous... not to mention expensive that consumers will have to pay

Canada is far too large to make this idea realistic. The costs of providing broadband connections to the North would be astronomically high.

Well anything less then 56k is a crime!

so let me get this right.

even if you DON'T want broadband at an address you HAVE to have it?

spy much?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shun Izaki (Post 7017849)

so let me get this right.

even if you DON'T want broadband at an address you HAVE to have it?

spy much?

Just because you have a right doesn't mean you have to use it.