You have the right to broadband – in Finland

Finland, the land of reindeer and hockey, will soon be the land of broadband for all as well. The Finnish government has made broadband internet action a right, not a privilege or a luxury, and says every citizen will be legally entitled to such a connection by July 2010.

Initially, the connection will be 1 Mb but will be ramped up to 100 Mb by 2015. This will make Finland the first country in the world to make broadband access a legal right for its citizens. The move will hopefully move other countries to make similar laws. France has gone so far as to declare internet action a basic human right but so far has not made it a law.

Hopefully, the U.S. will follow in Finland’s footsteps, but concerns about infrastructure and net neutrality have slowed down progress. Granted, Finland is a tiny country, smaller than New York City, so it’s not nearly as complicated an undertaking. Still, here in the U.S. it needs to happen. The net is no longer a scholarly playground or a luxury. It has infiltrated our lives and become a vital part of them. Our kids use the net to do their homework, companies rely on it, and millions of us use it to get the latest news, pay our bills, and stay in touch. President Obama relied on it to run his campaign. It’s become a necessity and hopefully soon, it will be a legal right for us as well.

Read [PCWorld]