High-Speed Internet Access Becomes a Legal Right in Finland

Earlier this month, Finland became the first country to guarantee broadband access to each citizen. Under the new law, the government does not pay for the actual cost of Internet service, it simply ensures that every Finnish citizen has the ability to purchase high-speed Internet. For now, the promise is access to a 1 Mbps connection, but the plan is to make the minimum a whopping 100 Mbps by 2015.

According to the BBC, the UK is working on a similar plan. However, unlike the Finnish law, the government there is actually committing to providing a 2 Mbps connection to everyone by 2012.

These movements really highlight how integral the Internet has become in today's society. No longer just a diversion filled with funny pictures of cats, the Internet is now becoming a requirement for modern living, like the electricity and home phone service before it.

Do you think broadband will ever be a legal right in America? If so, how long do you think it will take?