Has Broadband Become a Utility?

Back when the Internet first became a reality for home use, it seemed like a bit of a luxury. Sure, there were practical applications such as researching a paper for school or e-mailing a relative, but there were plenty of other more practical ways of accomplishing the same goals.

Slowly but surely though, Internet service became a necessity for most people and made the jump from luxury to utility. As it did, we required faster and faster speeds and so began the age of broadband. Again, at first broadband seemed like a bit of a luxury, but now it almost seems like a necessity. So, has broadband become a utility as well?

I think it has for my family, at least. Sure, lots of broadband applications like gaming and movies are not exactly necessary for day to day life, but pause for a second and imagine your life without broadband. You wouldn't be able to watch those videos of your nephew that just got uploaded to YouTube without buffering for hours. You wouldn't be able to easily download files from work when at home. Uploading pictures to Facebook would take so long you'd have to plan it in advance. I can't imagine any of that any more than I can imagine life at home without water or gas service!

What do you think? Has broadband become a utility? Let us know in the comments.

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