Finland declares broadband a legal right

[Argenteus]

Finland has made broadband web access (at 1 Mb) a legal right for it citizens, and may be extended to 100 Mb.

 

http://www.interneturbanist.com/2014/12/the-oldest-living-plant-is-at-least.html

 

Considering how much stuff is now done online, including access to government services here in Australia, it'd be nice to see that here too. Hopefully more countries will follow suit?

[terrytek]

If only america followed suit.

[AlwaysFSX]

Just a matter of time before that becomes a better connection than in the States.

[upliftsleet1974]

If only america followed suit.

It will not and should not. Its not free. Its payed by tax payers. And is a horrible idea now some old lady who has no computer has a right that will do her no good at all. this is just stupid.

[ReTV]

Well, according to our government, we shall have at least 100MBit/s in every household by, what was it, a year or something? Now, Finlands approach seems much more realistic. Though I see one problem. I don't know about their law, but here you have a vast tolerance on broadband connections. Example: You pay for 16MBit/s, but your IRL throughput is only about 7 to 9 MBit/s. That is still within "tolerance" and there's nothing you can do (booked bandwidth has no legal implications). Now imagine that with only 1MBit/s  .

 

tl;dr: I really hope they achieve their goal and exceed it. 

[Argenteus]

It will not and should not. Its not free. Its payed by tax payers. And is a horrible idea now some old lady who has no computer has a right that will do her no good at all. this is just stupid.

The right to doesn't mean the old lady has to have it, just that she can.

[multifrag]

It will not and should not. Its not free. Its payed by tax payers. And is a horrible idea now some old lady who has no computer has a right that will do her no good at all. this is just stupid.

Don't think of the country as just old ladies land. It's an investment for the future... If every household will have 100mb/s it will only help the infrastructure and businesses. Open up more work.....

[terrytek]

Don't think of the country as just old ladies land. It's an investment for the future... If every household will have 100mb/s it will only help the infrastructure and businesses. Open up more work.....

 

 

The right to doesn't mean the old lady has to have it, just that she can.

These guys are right. Everybody deserves faster internet. Doesn't mean you have to use it. Slow internet equals less productivity, which equals less money.

[Sidiox]

It will not and should not. Its not free. Its payed by tax payers. And is a horrible idea now some old lady who has no computer has a right that will do her no good at all. this is just stupid.

I don't know where you live or how things are handled over there, but over here in the Netherlands nearly everything has to be done via internet and you can't even do it using normal mail or telephone anymore, as far as I am concerened it is not more then reasonable then if the government requires you do to everything via internet then that they also make sure you actually get it.

 

I really hope that this also comes to the Netherlands, people in the more rural areas really are currently suffering under the bad ISPs that we have.... F#cking KPN and Ziggo

[upliftsleet1974]

These guys are right. Everybody deserves faster internet. Doesn't mean you have to use it. Slow internet equals less productivity, which equals less money.

It is a right to have internet its a right you pay for. 

So by your logic gas should be free..That would help make money and productivity for people. 

 

Thats not right tbh. 

 

I live in the middle of nowhere so it would cost millions to get the internet to me.  

[upliftsleet1974]

I don't know where you live or how things are handled over there, but over here in the Netherlands nearly everything has to be done via internet and you can't even do it using normal mail or telephone anymore, as far as I am concerened it is not more then reasonable then if the government requires you do to everything via internet then that they also make sure you actually get it.

 

I really hope that this also comes to the Netherlands, people in the more rural areas really are currently suffering under the bad ISPs that we have.... F#cking KPN and Ziggo

I suffer under a horrible ISP in a rural area and as a Web developer it hurts me a lot on time and money. But its a choice to live here. 

[upliftsleet1974]

The right to doesn't mean the old lady has to have it, just that she can.

Yes but she has that right now also...She has to pay for it but still can if she wants it.

[Unclescar]

Having the right to something and having something are related but very much different.

I have the right to own a gun to protect myself and property, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I have a gun. I also have the right to say what i want, to voice my opinion. I don't always have an opinion, and that's just fine.

Having the right to internet means that someway or another it has to be available for you if you desire to have it. actually needing and having it are not the same as it being required to be available to you.

Now, if they made a law to increase the minimum speed, that is something we'd ALL love.

[Sidiox]

I suffer under a horrible ISP in a rural area and as a Web developer it hurts me a lot on time and money. But its a choice to live here. 

Not entirely that much of choice... I am barely 18 and still live with my parents, I don't have the money to go out and live in the city with decent internet, yet the government and my eduction rely on internet. Also my father is a farmer, now that everything shifts to digital he also has to do all his administration via the internet, so unless he were to move to the city and because of that wouldn't be able to do his job he wouldn't have good internet. 

[Toddwjp]

It will not and should not. Its not free. Its payed by tax payers. And is a horrible idea now some old lady who has no computer has a right that will do her no good at all. this is just stupid.

 

the whole point of paying taxes is so the government can provide services to everybody that otherwise wouldn't be possible, and in 50 years im pretty sure everyone will want/have/or use the internet.

 

also if every single house has internet then the government can save money by having certain things done by internet forms rather then mail. also your assuming that itll will do an old lady no good. old people aren't idiots

[terrytek]

It is a right to have internet its a right you pay for. 

So by your logic gas should be free..That would help make money and productivity for people. 

 

Thats not right tbh. 

 

I live in the middle of nowhere so it would cost millions to get the internet to me.  

Technically, I'm still right, because gas couldn't be free whatsoever unless we have an unlimited supply of petroleum, which we don't. Therefore, it can't be free. Internet can be free, though, because we really don't know the true origin of the internet.

 

 

Besides, I do live in the middle of nowhere as well, and the internet does suck, but it's better than no internet.

[Albatross]

Even if that old lady doesn't want it or use it, the government will still take money out of people's pockets to pay for the free service. But I would personally want to pay for that than other shit we are forced to pay for.

 

I'm not sure where I stand on this.  It would be nice for those in rural areas, like myself. A lot of people here cannot have access to the internet, even if they are willing to pay for it. It will also help with business etc etc. On one hand I can see why something like this is a good idea, but on the other hand, I cannot.

[That Norwegian Guy]

Yes but she has that right now also...She has to pay for it but still can if she wants it.

 

No she doesn't. Ever heard of socialism? If something is declared a basic human right in a socialist country, the government will pay for it. Just like in Norway, where housing is a right, and if you can't afford it, the government pays for it.

 

Internet is becoming a human right simply because the world is making it impossible to live without. If it's not guaranteed as a right, then suddenly lots of people one day will find it impossible to communicate with government institutions, do their taxes, receive and pay bills and more. Such a situation will put someone right outside of society completely.

 

It is inevitable that every civilized country will have to follow this example. (Germany has also done it, but I don't think they set a minimum speed or used the word 'broadband', just internet - then again, it's practically impossible to get internet below 1mbps anymore practically anywhere in Europe. In Norway, 5 mbps is the lowest I've seen in years)

 

 

Having the right to something and having something are related but very much different.

I have the right to own a gun to protect myself and property, but that doesn't necessarily mean that I have a gun. I also have the right to say what i want, to voice my opinion. I don't always have an opinion, and that's just fine.

Having the right to internet means that someway or another it has to be available for you if you desire to have it. actually needing and having it are not the same as it being required to be available to you.

Now, if they made a law to increase the minimum speed, that is something we'd ALL love.

 

Except that your capitalist example doesn't apply to everywhere. Including Finland, which last time I checked was a socialist country and will pay for internet in the future for a Finnish citizen who is unable to.

[terrytek]

No she doesn't. Ever heard of socialism? If something is declared a basic human right in a socialist country, the government will pay for it. Just like in Norway, where housing is a right, and if you can't afford it, the government pays for it.

 

Internet is becoming a human right simply because the world is making it impossible to live without. If it's not guaranteed as a right, then suddenly lots of people one day will find it impossible to communicate with government institutions, do their taxes, receive and pay bills and more. Such a situation will put someone right outside of society completely.

 

It is inevitable that every civilized country will have to follow this example. (Germany has also done it, but I don't think they set a minimum speed or used the word 'broadband', just internet - then again, it's practically impossible to get internet below 1mbps anymore practically anywhere in Europe. In Norway, 5 mbps is the lowest I've seen in years)

Are you serious? The government in Norway can actually help you into a house? In america, if you can't get a house, you're on your own, living on the streets.

 

But yeah, internet were to come to a crashing halt, nobody would be productive anymore.

[Fetzie]

It will not and should not. Its not free. Its payed by tax payers. And is a horrible idea now some old lady who has no computer has a right that will do her no good at all. this is just stupid.

 

Isn't that what we pay taxes for? To pay for the government to provide services to the country?

 

Even if that old lady doesn't want it or use it, the government will still take money out of people's pockets to pay for the free service. But I would personally want to pay for that than other shit we are forced to pay for.

Albatross But you'd be paying those taxes anyway.

[Nineshadow]

It is inevitable that every civilized country will have to follow this example. (Germany has also done it, but I don't think they set a minimum speed or used the word 'broadband', just internet - then again, it's practically impossible to get internet below 1mbps anymore practically anywhere in Europe. In Norway, 5 mbps is the lowest I've seen in years)

Ehm...mobile internet providers...cough*...cough*

They really suck here.

At times I even get less than 1kbps.

Yes, I get bps! That really sucks.

 

But that's probably just here in Romania...

[Fetzie]

Are you serious? The government in Norway can actually help you into a house? In america, if you can't get a house, you're on your own, living on the streets.

 

But yeah, internet were to come to a crashing halt, nobody would be productive anymore.

 

Yeah, they will. Because the government has decided and the people there agree that having a load of people living on the streets is a Bad Thing. Welcome to the first world, where the government does its damn job and helps every citizen regardless of income (as it should).

[Albatross]

 

Isn't that what we pay taxes for? To pay for the government to provide services to the country?

 

Albatross But you'd be paying those taxes anyway.

 

(you quoted me wrong. )

 

For people to have internet? No, I don't.

[terrytek]

Yeah, they will. Because the government has decided and the people there agree that having a load of people living on the streets is a Bad Thing.

Yeah, say that to the American government. They don't give a shit about the homeless. Only these homeless charities help out the homeless, and even that's not enough. Man, the government can be a bunch of little fucks sometimes.

[That Norwegian Guy]

Are you serious? The government in Norway can actually help you into a house? In america, if you can't get a house, you're on your own, living on the streets.

 

 

Yes, furthermore it is actually illegal to live on the streets. Even people who can't prove that they are Norwegian citizens or have no proof of identity have a right to a home provided by the state. Not that the latter case is common, or bureaucratically easy to fix. The government also pays for aides for the disabled, and paid health vacations for citizens with diseases (such as psoreasis) that can be treated abroad. Psoreasis patients usually go to Spain or a different mediterranean country where it's warm and they have hot springs.