Finland has become the world’s first nation to make household access to broadband Internet a legal right.
Under the new regulation, which came into effect on July 1, all Finnish citizens are guaranteed the right to a 1 mbps (megabits per second) Internet connection, and a 100 mbps connection by 2015.
The new regulations will require that over 99 percent of all permanent places of residence, businesses, and the public sector are no further than 1.2 miles from a fibreoptic or cable network.
Until now, the expansion of broadband access in Finland’s rural areas has progressed slowly, according to Finnish media.
The Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications estimates that telecom operators will be able to construct 95 percent of the fast Internet connections on market terms.
To achieve the 99 percent coverage requirement, approximately 120,000 additional connections will need to be created, which comes at a price. Telecom operators will cover at least 34 percent of the those costs. The rest will be divided among the national government, the municipalities, and the European Union.
Consumers will then be able to obtain a connection from one of 26 telecommunications companies in the country. The Communications Regulatory Authority states that Internet access should be offered at an affordable price, which in most cases is around 30 to 40 euros (US$37-$50).
Juhapekka Ristola, director of the Communications Networks Unit under the Ministry of Communications told Finnish media that the government will soon be able to judge how well the nationwide Internet connection services are met since he expects that consumers will complain if they do not receive the service, or if the price is too high.
Under the new regulation, which came into effect on July 1, all Finnish citizens are guaranteed the right to a 1 mbps (megabits per second) Internet connection, and a 100 mbps connection by 2015.
The new regulations will require that over 99 percent of all permanent places of residence, businesses, and the public sector are no further than 1.2 miles from a fibreoptic or cable network.
Until now, the expansion of broadband access in Finland’s rural areas has progressed slowly, according to Finnish media.
The Finnish Ministry of Transport and Communications estimates that telecom operators will be able to construct 95 percent of the fast Internet connections on market terms.
To achieve the 99 percent coverage requirement, approximately 120,000 additional connections will need to be created, which comes at a price. Telecom operators will cover at least 34 percent of the those costs. The rest will be divided among the national government, the municipalities, and the European Union.
Consumers will then be able to obtain a connection from one of 26 telecommunications companies in the country. The Communications Regulatory Authority states that Internet access should be offered at an affordable price, which in most cases is around 30 to 40 euros (US$37-$50).
Juhapekka Ristola, director of the Communications Networks Unit under the Ministry of Communications told Finnish media that the government will soon be able to judge how well the nationwide Internet connection services are met since he expects that consumers will complain if they do not receive the service, or if the price is too high.
