Finland is the first country in the world to make internet access a legal right for its citizens.

The law, which came into force last week, ensures 1 Mbps broadband connection for everyone in the country, with an added promise by the government to upgrade it to 100 Mbps by 2015.

Finland’s communications minister Suvi Linden commented on the move by saying that internet services are no longer just for entertainment. According to Linden, high speed internet continues to be a priority for the government.

The country already has a significantly high number of its citizens wired up, with up to 96% of the population online. In comparison, internet access spans across only 73% of the UK population.

The UK Government’s ‘Digital Britain’ campaign has promised a minimum of 2 Mbps connection for everyone by 2012, but they have not yet gone so far as to declare it as a law.

Recent research revealed that Brits are increasingly seeing the internet as representing a vital need instead of a luxury.

According to the latest Minimum Income Standard report by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, a computer and internet access at home fall under the umbrella of “socially acceptable standard of living”.

The research found that, for working-age households, internet access is considered important in enabling people “to participate in society”. The participants rated a home computer and internet access as more of an essential need than a car.

Sources: The Telegraph, The Guardian