If you’re an avid Internet user, you owe Finland a great deal of gratitude. They’re the first nation in the world to make broadband service a basic right to its citizens. Without this big step from them, there’s no telling how long it would’ve taken for another country to finally pull the trigger. That’s right: while America tries to figure out how to get broadband into rural areas, Finland is moving forward with a much bolder plan that involves giving broadband access to every single person in its country.
Why is this such an important move? Internet has been the most used tool in the last few years, that is free and provides valuable information for anyone using it properly. Bringing high speed access to all would improve the quality of life in some of the country’s most sparsely-populated regions, as well as boosting business and encouraging online business. Making internet a basic right for all citizens, is a step forward in providing each person with the latest news, education, technology and everything else available at your finger tips.
Starting this month, any Internet provider that operates in Finland will be obligated to provide a 1Mbps connection to all Finnish households, regardless of location. That’s certainly a huge thing to ask of ISPs, but there are limitations in place to prevent outrageous extra fees from cropping up. This is s BIG move and it will hopefully spark a lot of copycat movements from other governments around the world. No one wants to lag behind in the race to become the most connected nation in the world, and while Finland is certainly small, it’s far from being “tiny.”
