‘Tide turning’ for broadband as basic service, researcher says

A U.K. researcher working on a charter of human rights for the Internet says broadband access is receiving an increasing amount of international recognition as a basic service right. “More and more people are beginning to look at it in that way, so the tides are beginning to turn,” Dixie Hawtin, a researcher at Global Partners & Associates, said in an interview. Global Partners, which promotes democratic politics, effective governance and human rights, is working on the charter as part of the international Internet Rights & Principles Coalition. The Charter of Human Rights and Principles for the Internet, based primarily on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, is intended as a reference tool for governments, companies and human rights groups. In its most recent draft, the charter says everyone should have the equal right to access the Internet. “Where appropriate, this includes the right to broadband access,” the charter says. “As the Internet has become an indispensable tool for many life-related functions and is necessary for the enjoyment of other rights like the right to education, all people must have access to the Internet at affordable conditions.” Hawtin cautioned that although the charter says people have a right to broadband, it should be considered more as an aspirational goal. “Broadband is something that is more specific and that makes sense in certain countries and in certain situations, but we wouldn’t call it a right,” she said. “The actual means of is dependent on the country and dependent on what’s technologically possible.” But Hawtin said an increasing number of countries are giving Internet access recognition as part of their universal access obligation policies. In July, Finland became the first country to make broadband access a basic right. Under the Finnish government’s universal service obligation, every household, regardless of its location, has the right to access the Internet at the minimum speed of 1 Mbps. The obligation, however, does not extend to summer residences. “The broadband subscription may be implemented by fixed or wireless technology and its price and delivery time must be reasonable,” the Finnish Communications Regulatory Authority (FICORA) said in a release. FICORA said a monthly access fee of 30 to 40 euros is reasonable in the majority of cases. Finland is also set on increasing its basic speeds. The country has committed a 66-million euro budget to ensure 99 per cent of the population has access to 100 Mbps broadband through fibre or cable networks. But Speaking at a panel on broadband at the International Institute of Communications (IIC) annual conference on Tuesday, Industry Canada director general Marc Dupuis said describing broadband access as a fundamental right is a “strong word.” Dupuis said that it’s unrealistic to expect the government to provide the funds required to meet ever-increasing broadband targets. John Lawford, council with the Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC), said in an interview that Canadians will have to wait until the CRTC issues its decision on access to basic services to find out whether the regulatory body will mandate universal broadband access and establish a fund for the effort. In August, PIAC published a report recommending that broadband access be considered a basic service as a vital part of society. “I guess we’re concerned we’re getting a little behind other countries like Australia, Finland and the U.K.,” he said. “We do need to do something serious about it.” In March, the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) released its National Broadband Plan, which involved allocating $15.5 billion US over 10 years to make 4 Mbps broadband Internet available to every citizen. The U.K. government has set a universal speed target of 2 Mbps by 2012. Penetration rates in the U.K. stood at 73 per cent in July. Australia’s national broadband initiative plans to build a national fibre network through $43 billion AU in funding. The plan would provide minimum peak speeds of 12 Mbps to 97 per cent of the population. In Canada, the CRTC is considering adding broadband to its basic service definition. The commission currently sets 1.5 Mbps as the minimum download speed for broadband. At a two-week hearing on basic services this month, CRTC chairman Konrad von Finckenstein said Canada may have to set a moving target for broadband speeds. That view was reflected by Industry Minister Tony Clement Monday, who said he supports increasing the minimum speed definition over time. Clement added that 98 per cent of Canadians will have access to minimum speeds of 1.5 Mbps when the federal government completes its Broadband Canada initiative. kfournier@thewirereport.ca

‘Tide turning’ for broadband as basic service, researcher says

News | November 26, 2010

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