Broadband for all

…for all in Finland that is.

Finland has become the first country in the world to make broadband a legal right for every citizen. That is, from 1 July every Finn will have the right to access a 1Mbps (megabit per second) broadband connection and vowed to connect everyone to a 100Mbps connection by 2015.

This is almost laughable when you consider that the UK government has promised a minimum connection of at least 2Mbps to all homes by 2012 but has stopped far short of endorsing this as a legal right.

The Finish deal means that all telecommunications companies will be obliged to provide all residents with broadband lines that can run at a minimum 1Mbps speed.

When interviewed, the Finnish communication minister Suvi Linden explained that they considered the role of the internet in Finns everday lives, realising that the internet is “no longer just for entertainment.”

Interestingly, it is believed that 96% of the population are already online, with just 4,000 to be connected to comply with the law. Whereas in the UK the figure of those using the internet stands at only 73%, and their commitment to providing everyone in the UK wth broadband with a minimum of 2Mbps by 2012 is just that, a commitment rather than a legally binding ruling.

However, on the flip-side, the decision to make broadband a legal right could in fact have implications for countries that plan to take a tough line on illegal file-sharing. For example, Britain and France have expressed that they will terminate or limit the internet connections of people who persistently download music or films for free.

Nevertheless, from a business point of view, it’s time to sit up and realise the potential. With a growing focus on the importance of the internet and the increasing number of users, this is fast becoming THE space in which to engage with your chosen consumers. What is needed, however, is to understand how to go about this without bombarding potential customers with ill-conceived content, and to do this well you have to get your digital pr fighting fit.  

This is quite apparent when considering that a poll conducted for BBC World Service earlier this year found that almost four in five people around the world believed that access to the internet is a fundamental right.