Should The UK Make Fast Broadband Speeds A Legal Right For All?
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By Steve Tattersall, Co-Editor, Broadband Internet UK. 20th October 2009.
In an interesting move last week, the Finnish government passed a new law that entitles every person in Finland to a minimum 1Mbps broadband connection speed by July 2010 (that's next July!).
By doing this, Finland became the first country in the world to make minimum broadband speed access a LEGAL right for ALL its people, wherever they live in the country.
The Finnish government has effectively forced its broadband providers to start rolling out high speed internet services across the country, including rural areas where it may be cost prohibitive.
And that’s not all! The Finnish government also states that the move is merely an intermediary step in preparation for up to 100Mbps broadband access across the country by 2015.
Such ground-breaking moves from the Finnish government are to be commended and should provide a real wake up call to our UK government who have spent far too long dithering with the Digital Britain report.
I don’t pretend to know the ins and outs of how Finland’s minimum broadband speed law will be implemented or how the roll out will be funded, but the point is, they’ve got on with it and put the legislation in place. People living in rural Finland must at least feel their voices have been heard.
Contrast that to the UK, where the Digital Britain report contains merely a ‘target’ to have minimum broadband speeds of 2Mbps for all by 2012.
A ‘target’ is clearly not good enough and to be honest is unlikely to be achieved. Sure, there’s been announcements and progress, like BT’s confirmation that up to 100Mbps broadband speeds will be available to 2.5 million homes by 2012 – but that’s mainly in urban areas and clearly not enough.
Instead, we need decisive legislation and action plans from our government to ensure faster broadband speeds are made available to every home and business in the UK.
People living in rural and remote areas should not have to ‘make do’ with mobile or satellite broadband options that are often inferior. They have the basic right to fast fixed line broadband access, just like those people living in urban areas.
So come on Stephen Timms, the Minister for Digital Britain, we'd like some more action please. Consult with your counterparts in Finland and put plans in place to make at least 2Mbps minimum broadband speeds (or faster) a LEGAL right for ALL in the UK.
What's Your Opinion? Do you think you should have a legal right to a minimum broadband speed in your home? Add your comments on our news blog and we'll send them, together with all the other comments we receive, to the UK's Digital Minister.
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