FINLAND first Country to make BROADBAND a Legal RIGHT for every Citizen.

[The True Adonis]

http://gamepolitics.com/2010/07/01/finland-first-country-make-broadband-right

Finland First Country to Make Broadband a Right
July 1, 2010

The BBC reports that Finland has become the first country in the world to make broadband a legal right for every citizen. Starting today, the government of Finland will begin working on giving everyone in the country the right to have a 1Mbps (megabit per second) broadband connection by 2015. Under this new law all telecommunications companies will be obligated to provide all residents with broadband lines that can run at a minimum 1Mbps speed. It is estimated that nearly 96 percent of the country's population are already online and that only about 4,000 homes need to be connected to comply with the law.

    Speaking to the BBC, Finland's communication minister Suvi Linden said: "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."

The British government is working on a similar plan that provides everyone in its country with a minimum 2Mbps broadband connection by 2012, but it is not a law. The plan for Britain also puts strict limits on users caught engaging in file-sharing of copyrighted materials. The UK government could cut off or limit the internet connections of people who persistently download music or films for free, as an example. The UK has also had to make serious budget cuts that could kill or delay a plan for free broadband around the country.

Source: BBC

[GigantorX]

How much is this going to cost? Who is going to provide it? What else is going to be a "Legal Right"?

[drkaje]

There's a country that takes its porn seriously.

[LurkerNoMore]

There's a country that takes its porn seriously.

LOL!!  My thoughts exactly before I even opened this thread.

[Fury]

Finland has 5 million people. Our country of 300+ million that's 1000x the size land-wise better follow their lead. 

[Skip8282]

TA, I think you should dip into your trust fund and hook all of us up with free broadband - in the spirit of socialism, of course.

[Eyeball Chambers]

Wouldn't it be great if a country existed in which a government was organized where the people were only taxed to provided things like fire service, police, and infrastructure?  Where you could live your own life, do your own thing, and be solely responsible for the welfare yourself and your family.

[ToxicAvenger]

fast forward...network engineers flee finland