Right-on
Finland is the first country in the world to offer every citizen broadband access as a legal right.
Every Finnish citizen will reportedly enjoy the right to access a 1Mbps broadband connection from 1 July, with a speedy 100Mbps connection promised by the government by 2015.
But the law is set to have a knock on effect for the country's telecom companies, which must now ensure the minimum speed can be supplied to all Finland's households.
Experts estimate around 96% of Finns are already surfing the net, with only 4,000 homes lacking a broadband connection.
Finland's communication minister Suvi Linden told the BBC: "We considered the role of the internet in Finns everyday life. Internet services are no longer just for entertainment. Finland has worked hard to develop an information society and a couple of years ago we realised not everyone had access."
Meanwhile, the UK government has pledged a basic connection of 2Mbps to all homes by 2012, but has no plans to make its promise law. It is estimated just under three quarters of homes in the UK have an internet connection.
However, some experts believe enshrining the right to broadband in law could have serious implications for countries taking action against illegal file sharing and internet-related crimes.
The UK and France have both mentioned they could cut-off internet connections of people who constantly download illegal films or music, but if internet became a legal right, such action could prove incredibly problematic.
Yet, Finland is un-phased and allegedly plans to send letters to illegal file-sharers instead of culling their access.
A BBC poll recently found a staggering four out of five people across the globe believe internet access should be a fundamental right, supported by the UN which has backed universal access to the web, pushing for it to be made a ‘human right'.
