Broadband Internet a Legal Right

[Vampyr]

Originally Posted by Bond

Key:



These sorts of things are much easier to accomplish in small, homogeneous countries.

It doesn't matter - it's the principle of it. Government funds are being used to pave the way for everyone to have internet of a decent speed.

Do you believe, no matter how easy it would be to do, that that would go over very well here? People can't even come to terms with the fact that their money will be used to pay for someone else's healthcare.

[KillerGremlin]

Dial Up is unusable in this day of age.

When you think about laying broadband, why not do it like this? Look at the United States, we have some of the worst Internet service in the world. Wasn't there a huge push to lay telephone lines across the country? The Internet has become the number one method of information exchange. It promotes education, schools use it (an email and Internet connection is pretty much mandatory for college, high school, and even middle school, and the alternative is a public library).

My only concern with getting the Government involved with Internet is the lack of privacy and censorship. At least in America you can buy broadband from companies that are loyal to their customers; well, except for Comcast. And they have a monopoly on a large portion of the country. But then, even with privatized ISPs, the gov can still subpoena users and regulate the Internet. It's scary stuff.

The Internet is going to be the future intellectual and consumerism battle grounds. Don't be surprised if it is 100% different in 20 years.

[Bond]

Originally Posted by Vampyr

It doesn't matter - it's the principle of it. Government funds are being used to pave the way for everyone to have internet of a decent speed.

Do you believe, no matter how easy it would be to do, that that would go over very well here? People can't even come to terms with the fact that their money will be used to pay for someone else's healthcare.

My comment was more from a policy sense. You could certainly argue the principle of citizens being entitled to broadband, but pragmatically it is much easier to accomplish in a country such as Finland than the United States. But, I see your point.