Internet Access Now a Legal Right in Finland

On June first 2010, having an Internet broadband connection became a legal right in Finland.

The main reason the government may have to give such an importance to total Internet access to its citizens is move make the move to all their services online, both to cut costs and to make them more efficient. According to the Finland’s communication minister Suvi Linden (as reported by the BBC),the Internet penetration is around 96%, much higher than the UK’s and the US’s which are below the 80% mark.

“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”

The move to more internet-based services from the public sectors is already underway in most OECD countries, and several have had a similar approach to internet access. In the UK, for example, the government has agreed to give a minimum of 2MB/s broadband access to the wole population, but it is a commitment rather than a legally binding law. In Finland, the welfare check will now include Internet fees, so that the lower-income portion of the population will be able to afford it. Apart from a probable slight increase in taxation, this will not affect most Finns and they already have Internet access.

Finland is one of the countries with the best broadband availability already. It is third worldwide in average broadband speed (behind Japan and South Korea, Asia’s two internet speed junkies) and the fifth country regarding to broadband penetration. Broadband is cheaper than most places too (again, only behind Japan and South Korea) which makes the new law affordable.

The reaction from the “international community” is mixed nonetheless. Some call upon their libertarian side, surprised that anyone could even think of Internet access as a right rather than a commodity. Others call Finland forward thinking, the first country to take act upon the technological advancements of our time. The problem is that Internet access here becomes more of an obligation than a right, and though you don’t pay for it if you’re of the needy, you may not be able to refuse to be contacted through electonical means in the near future. On the other hand, why should the government still have to rely on costly solutions like paperwork and snailmail in this day and age?