Finland Moves to Guarantee Universal Internet Access
Just about every modern democratic state has certain pillars of individual rights upon which its social and political philosophy is founded: the right of free speech; the right to a fair trial; the right to... broadband access? In one Nordic country, that may soon be the case.
In another searing reminder that Finland is, in fact, cooler than the rest of us, the Finnish government has passed a law making broadband access an inalienable right for every citizen. The Huffington Post reported Wednesday that by July 2010, when the law is slated to take effect, all of Finland's 5.3 million inhabitants will be guaranteed the right to a 1 Mbps broadband connection, reportedly making it the first country to implement a law of this kind. The government had previously passed a law aiming to provide nationwide access to a 100 Mbps connection by 2015, so the latest legislation could be viewed as an intermediary step towards the long-term goal of faster, more efficient universal connectivity.
There is still some work to be done, though, if these lofty goals are to be met. According to the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority, roughly 287 out of every 1,000 citizens have broadband access, and, as of yet, there has been no indication as to how exactly the government plans to cover the remaining 70-percent or so. If universal coverage is achieved, it would represent not only a huge technological and political milestone, but a gold standard to which the rest of the world should aspire. Even if it falls a little short, though, the mere fact that the Finnish government is debating such policies, while our own Congress still hasn't been able to figure out how to guarantee more basic human rights, is, in a word, humbling. [From: Huffington Post]
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