Internet access is 'a fundamental right'

Internet users around the world are attracted by the availability of information

Almost four in five people around the world believe that access to the internet is a fundamental right, a poll for the BBC World Service suggests.

The survey - of more than 27,000 adults across 26 countries - found strong support for net access on both sides of the digital divide.

Countries such as Finland and Estonia have already ruled that access is a human right for their citizens.

International bodies such as the UN are also pushing for universal net access.

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"The right to communicate cannot be ignored," Dr Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), told BBC News.

"The internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created."

He said that governments must "regard the internet as basic infrastructure - just like roads, waste and water".

"We have entered the knowledge society and everyone must have access to participate."

The survey, conducted by GlobeScan for the BBC, also revealed divisions on the question of government oversight of some aspects of the net.

Web users questioned in South Korea and Nigeria felt strongly that governments should never be involved in regulation of the internet. However, a majority of those in China and the many European countries disagreed.

In the UK, for example, 55% believed that there was a case for some government regulation of the internet.

Rural retreat

The finding comes as the UK government tries to push through its controversial Digital Economy Bill.

As well as promising to deliver universal broadband in the UK by 2012, the bill could also see a so-called "three strikes rule" become law.

This rule would give regulators new powers to disconnect or slow down the net connections of persistent illegal file-sharers. Other countries, such as France, are also considering similar laws.

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Recently, the EU adopted an internet freedom provision, stating that any measures taken by member states that may affect citizen's access to or use of the internet "must respect the fundamental rights and freedoms of citizens".

In particular, it states that EU citizens are entitled to a "fair and impartial procedure" before any measures can be taken to limit their net access.

The EU is also committed to providing universal access to broadband. However, like many areas around the world the region is grappling with how to deliver high-speed net access to rural areas where the market is reluctant to go.

Analysts say that is a problem many countries will increasingly have to deal with as citizens demand access to the net.

The BBC survey found that 87% of internet users felt internet access should be the "fundamental right of all people".

More than 70% of non-users felt that they should have access to the net.

Overall, almost 79% of those questioned said they either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the description of the internet as a fundamental right - whether they currently had access or not.

Free speech

Countries such as Mexico, Brazil and Turkey most strongly support the idea of net access as a right, the survey found.

More than 90% of those surveyed in Turkey, for example, stated that internet access is a fundamental right - more than those in any other European Country.

Facebook has become a lightning rod for causes of all types

South Korea - the most wired country on Earth - had the greatest majority of people (96%) who believed that net access was a fundamental right. Nearly all of the country's citizens already enjoy high-speed net access.

The survey also revealed that the internet is rapidly becoming a vital part of many people's lives in a diverse range of nations.

In Japan, Mexico and Russia around three-quarters of respondents said they could not cope without it.

Most of those questioned also said that they believed the web had a positive impact, with nearly four in five saying it had brought them greater freedom.

However, many web users also expressed concerns. The dangers of fraud, the ease of access to violent and explicit content and worries over privacy were the most concerning aspects for those questioned.

A majority of users in Japan, South Korea and Germany felt that they could not express their opinions safely online, although in Nigeria, India and Ghana there was much more confidence about speaking out.

Um, no. The right to communicate -a generalization of free speech, freedom of the press, and many other rights we now take for granted- is indeed fundamental. But this does not dictate, nor should it, that any particular method of communication is a basic human right. Aside from the problems of abuse and consequence, it would also imply that other forms of communication can and should be restricted.

If you abuse your right to use the internet then you should not be allowed to use it.

well, there is pretty much no better way to communicate than the internet (other than actually meeting people), so I guess it makes sense that you would want to try and give everyone access to it.

wut?

Who will fund it? How will we enforce such funding? Should we prioritize the funding of providing internet access to the whole world, than say food, water, medicine, etc? Which brand? What about the sites themselves, with the huge increase in bandwith?

Video Calling, Email, Instant Messaging


Im not saying they should do it, im saying I can understand why they would want to do it, as for how they might do so, well, I assume however they do so at the moment, internet access is being expanded currently anyway is it not?

Yes, but those ways aren't better to the point that there is "no better way".

Internet access is being expanded, but as a result of supply and demand.

If you read my post, I said "other than"...


good, you think thats a bad thing? im just saying I can understand why people would want more people to have access to the internet.

Do you think Skype is significantly better than telephone? Even if it was, is it really such a huge gap? Why not go for giving everyone cell phones, as those are more wide spread?

I think it's a bad thing to give people access to the internet when you consider my first reply.

we already give people free access to the internet. It is called the public library system. Other than that it is a luxury you need to pay for. If there is no financial sense for a ISP to move into an area, then tough cookies. Get a 3G adapter for your PC and hopefully you have cell towers close enough.

Considering most people use the internet to shop, get news, or post on facebook/myspace, I see no reason for the government to spend taxpayers hard earned money on providing an unnecessary service. The companies that need high speed internet will pay for a dedicated line, so it's not like they won't be denied service.