Broadband A Legal Right In Finland

I spent the better part of two hours trying to figure out how to share news of Finland following along with nations in making access to broadband a “right”. I suppose some might point out that this is no different than providing access to power or water. Yet we do not see this happening in the most rural of areas. I have been to multiple states personally that do, indeed, have some people living in remote homes where neither of these amenities are available. Yet I do not see any one of them screaming for the power company to air drop in access to the grid?

Then we consider small rural communities. They almost always have basic access to water, power, and basic phone service. After all, anything less would be deemed insane. Does this translate into any of these amenities being a “right” of any sort? Of course not, but I would say that in a modern world, they are definitely needed.

This brings us to the matter of equal access to broadband Internet. Assuming we here in the U.S. can actually agree on a basic provided speed minimum, agree on a means of distribution (WiMAX, Fiber, etc.), then there is the matter of funding it during a period of financial turmoil.

But hey, these days access to the Internet is becoming a second chance for a lot of people trying to get back to school. Many of them are able to do so from online classes. So one could argue the importance of having reasonably accessible Internet access is paramount, depending on your point of view.

For me, I find that there is no easy answer to duplicating the Euro-access method of broadband for all here in the States. But being the guy who came from an old school approach to the world where the phrase “there is no free lunch” definitely adds to conundrum of simply “taxing” universal broadband into existence. See previous phrase — there is no free lunch. Whether paid for by an involuntary VAT tax or by other means, I am not sure there is a blanket solution that is not going to bug at least one group of people.

Can we find a solution to make broadband accessible to everyone, but also make sure people are actually paying for their fair share? Well, I am all for that. After all, access is different than free access. And based on what I have been reading, it sounds like the Finnish are simply making sure access is there. But what happens when they are giving it away, rather than merely charging reasonable fees for it? Ah, that is where the disagreements begin I think.

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