Finland says everyone has a right to 1 Mb broadband connection

By on October 14, 2009 in Consumer, Europe, Legislation and public policy

Finland has introduced a law that gives everyone the right to a 1 MB broadband connection. The law takes effect in July 2010. In 2015, everyone will have the right to a 100 MB connection. To the best of my knowledge, Finland is the first country to give its citizens the right to broadband.

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6 Responses to Finland says everyone has a right to 1 Mb broadband connection

  1. CharlieSmite October 14, 2009 at 7:45 pm #

    I’m sorry, but this is rediculous. You do not have a right to someone else’s goods and services. You only have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. You do not have the right to a good or service produced by someone else.

  2. Esme Vos October 14, 2009 at 8:24 pm #

    What about the right to have guns? Isn’t that quite sacred in the United States?

    The Finnish law is not saying people have the right to free broadband. They have to pay for it, even in Finland. In the US, you have the right to own a gun, although you have to pay for one.

  3. SteveChung October 14, 2009 at 9:20 pm #

    This is an interesting topic.

    I would like to know what would limit someone from having access to a broadband connection other than the obvious financial limitations experienced by those without the income to afford it.

    Moreover, why does this need to become a human right? All that would really serve to do is entitle people to a broadband connection.

    The difference in America with the right to bear arms being written into our constitution is because our forefathers had the brilliance to realize that we might have to fight for our freedom all over again against an oppressive government, oppression being the unifying characteristic of governments throughout human history.

    One could also argue that an unfiltered data stream is necessary for the uninhibited freedom of speech, something that would be made easier by a right to broadband, yes.

  4. OMV October 15, 2009 at 8:12 pm #

    Well the fundamental of the Internet is FREE, what we pay for is companies distributing and connecting us to the web, so question if the Internet is free, should everybody not have access?

  5. Njoni October 16, 2009 at 4:34 pm #

    Well if you would live in China you would know what would limit you to use internet… Come on people think about it. Don’t look it from a 1 year old perspective…

  6. Me October 17, 2009 at 10:23 am #

    I think the point is that the providers are now being required to give access to all including people in remote areas that, without the legislature, would not be profitable customers.

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