Finland the first country in the world to make broadband access a legal right

[Antithesis]

Finland the first country in the world to make broadband access a legal right


We knew this was coming, but starting today, every citizen of Finland has the legal right to a 1Mbps broadband connection, meaning that providers are now required to make the connections available to everyone. The government of Finland has also promised to make good on its goal of getting every citizen with a 100Mbps connection by 2015, saying that they now consider internet access a basic requirement of daily life. We're with you on that one, we promise.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/07/01/f...adband-access/

[OWS_Tonx]

That's pretty fucking cool.

[Mizango]

Packing my bags.

[Conrad]

Give me high-speed or give me death

[isladar]

Fuck yeah, Finland.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1108/...d5ddd2cad5.jpg

[Cyn]

I wonder what impact this would have on existing customers. Will it make the cost of internet access go up for everyone because the cable company has to run wires to far off remote areas?

[Colenzo]

Fuck yeah, Finland.

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1108/...d5ddd2cad5.jpg

oh you

[OWS_Tonx]

I wonder what impact this would have on existing customers. Will it make the cost of internet access go up for everyone because the cable company has to run wires to far off remote areas?

Good point. I'm not sure, would make sense though. I'm paying about $1,500 for a T1 connection at an out-liar site because theres no provider near it.

[Mizango]

Give me high-speed or give me death

Damn skippy. Get yo E-Patrick Henry on son.

[Qalbert]

Finland, Finland, Finland
That's the country for me!

Finland is the country where we dance
Finland is the country where we play
Here in Finland boy and girl can find a true romance
In traditional Scandinavian vay!

[Seanr]

America get on yo shit man. I still know people with Dial Up.. unacceptable.

[SephYuyX]

Shit, my house was barely in range for ADSL and cable, just a quarter mile away you cant get it. Hell will freeze before we get any sort of fibre and decent high speed.

[Rhyis.]

It's official, internet is serious business.

[SephYuyX]

http://www.techxav.com/wp-content/up...dsandprice.jpg

[Mizango]

America get on yo shit man. I still know people with Dial Up.. unacceptable.

Im telling you.

[Shenrien]

makes me glad that I'm above the average American..

[Uzor]

I wonder what impact this would have on existing customers. Will it make the cost of internet access go up for everyone because the cable company has to run wires to far off remote areas?

I don't think so - the cost has been on a decline for the past 10 years. 2005 51% of Sweden's population had access to broadband, 2008 85% did. I wouldn't be surprised if we're up to 95% now. The broadband company I use right now has a cost of $32 per month for no download/upload limit at a speed of 8 Mbit/s. Where applicable (mainly in the cities - I live right outside of Stockholm, so I don't have access to it), you can get a 100 Mbit/s connection for $31. They've been working at dragging optic fibre to my area, so I hope I can upgrade to a 100 Mbit connection soon, because I feel jewed out when I can get 10x my speed for cheaper than what I use now xD

Additionally, 98% of Sweden's population has access to mobile broadband connection from anywhere. So if you have a laptop, you can surf for porn at the park for only $10 a month with speed up to 6 Mbit.

If Finland do this, I'm sure its only a matter of time before the rest of the Scandinavian countries follow :3 and I'll be out cheering when they do!

[Seanr]

I wonder what impact this would have on existing customers. Will it make the cost of internet access go up for everyone because the cable company has to run wires to far off remote areas?

They should have been doing this to begin with. You make money to fucking grow and expand your business to new customers. And it's not late 90s when Broadband was just getting to the general public.

[OWS_Tonx]

makes me glad that I'm above the average American..

For real. We pay for a business class line at the house, but they have the tunnel fucked or something. We get like 21 down and 7 up.

[Kuya]

Some quotes from Al Jazeera article:

Analysts believe that up to 99 per cent of Finns are already online, with connectivity especially important in Finland's sparsely populated rural regions.

Al Jazeera's Laurence Lee, reporting from Finland, said: "It is hard to think of any other country outside Scandinavia which could have either the political or philosophical will to demand the best available service for every one of it people."

No other nation has yet issued a legally binding ruling on universal internet access, although the UK government has promised to connect all homes with at least 2Mbps by 2010.

Spain has said it will introduce a plan next year to allow citizens to buy at least 1Mbps of broadband at a regulated price, and telecommunications companies will be required to make the "universal service" available to everyone, no matter where they live.

Companies in Finland have said the new law represents a major headache with small benefits, as just 4,000 Fins do not currently have broadband access in a population of 5.5 million, while a few thousand more do not have guaranteed high speed service.

"We are talking about tens of millions of euros," Ahti Martikainen, a spokesperson for TeliaSonera, Finland's biggest broadband provider, said.

Infrastructure for connecting remote residents is especially pricey.

"For one single person, it might costs hundreds of thousands of euros. This makes no economic sense, it can be a nightmare," Martikainen.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/eu...246462623.html