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Finland makes broadband Internet access a right. 3 Cheers
This is change I can believe in.
Finland is the first country to recognize that this thing many of us take for granted, is no longer a luxury. It is required in order to live in our new connected society. Here's to Finland.
In Finland, the static noise of a dial-up modem and the stress of a slow Web connection soon will be relics of the past. Beginning in July, every person in the country will have the legal right to an Internet connection of at least 1 megabit per second.
It's the first country in the world to make broadband Internet access a legal requirement. Communications Minister Suvi Linden tells Weekend Edition host Liane Hansen it's part of Finland's effort to develop an information society.
"We decided that broadband connections are no longer this kind of luxury product and just for entertainment," she says. As online banking and other Internet services become widespread, Linden says speedy access for all of Finland's 5 million people is a necessity.
