Is Broadband Internet Access A Human Right?

The Internet has drastically changed the way that we live our lives. Without it, it would be harder to spread information around the globe, start a business or even say hi to family and friends across the street. Even something as simple as convening a fantasy football league or making a deposit at the bank is made drastically easier when a broadband Internet connection is available. With that said, is having access to high speed Internet a human right?

Several Countries Have Said Yes
Countries such as Greece, Estonia and Spain have provisions in their constitutions or have passed laws stating that access to the Internet is a human right that helps create a more transparent and civil society. Essentially, the Internet helps people communicate with their government and spread information about what the government may be doing. In any good democracy, the people have the right to free speech and reasonable access to information about things that are going on around them. The United Nations has also passed resolutions stating that all people have the right to broadband Internet access across the globe.

                                        Image is licensed under CC Attribution

The Internet Makes It Easier For Everyone to Have Access to the Market
Many small businesses have been founded online. Thanks to social media and other easy online marketing tactics, those businesses have been able to compete in the market. Everyday people have been able to make money for themselves simply by using the Internet to sell goods or services. Internet giants such as eBay were started by people who had nothing more than an Internet connection and assorted odds and ends to sell. If you are living in a poor country, you don’t have the money to start a new business with factories and a number of employees. You may not have the money to immigrate to a country such as America. The Internet allows you to make money and a better life for yourself.

High Speed Internet Has Brought Democracy to the Masses
Events such as the Arab Spring were brought about by social media users making others around the world aware of what was happening in the Middle East. People who had been oppressed for decades were able to use the Internet to change their government and have a democracy that represented the views of the people. Even as authorities in some Arab nations tried to block access to sites such as Twitter, it is impossible to keep people from using the Internet as a whole. It is incredible to think that something as simple as a social media message can impact the world.
The Internet is something that we all take for granted in open societies. However, not all people have access to a high speed Internet connection. Having this type of access can completely change the lives of those who are less fortunate than those who live in a country such as the United States. Without the Internet, people can be oppressed and denied the most basic of rights.

Sam Jones, the author, has orange broadband and can’t imagine life without it.