Suvi Lindén, Finland's Minister of Communications

Yleisradio Oy, the public broadcasting service in Finland, today reported starting next July, every person in Finland will have the right to a one-megabit broadband connection.

The announcement from the Ministry of Transport and Communications makes Finland the second European nation to consider broadband service more than just a modern day convenience.

Minister of Communications Suvi Lindén said broadband service must be universal, and at equitable speeds throughout Finland.  Private providers have been unable or unwilling to bring universal service to the country, so the Finnish government is compelled to do the job they won’t.

“No-one can be left outside the day-to-day functioning of the information society. As the telecommunications network needed cannot be provided on market terms in all respects, its construction must be supported by public funds,” she said.

Permanent Secretary Harri Pursiainen confirmed Lindén’s views about universal access in a study concluding it is impossible to expect commercial providers to provide regionally equal service throughout the country.

Finland intends to construct an advanced broadband network, starting with the guarantee of 1Mbps minimum speeds for virtually every citizen.  The plan recognizes that reaching the most remote parts of the country will require a mobile broadband network, and have made provisions to tolerate lower speeds on those networks, for now.

But the Finnish government does not consider 1Mbps anywhere near adequate to provide 21st century connectivity.  It has declared that anything less than 100Mbps service is simply unacceptable in the new “information economy.”

The 100Mbps minimum service standard would be mandatory, and targeted to be achieved no later than 2015, if the recommendations are approved by the Finnish Parliament.

“Citizens and businesses need increasingly effective data transfer. This is necessary, among other things, for teleworking, business, e-commerce, and access to social and health services,” Lindén states.

Harri Pursiainen

Television broadcasting also faces a turning point in the next few years, as channels become more diverse and high-definition transmission enters the picture. Here, high-speed broadband is an essential factor,” Lindén stresses.

The report proposes that the state, regions and municipalities share in the costs of improving the telecommunications network in those areas where the target level for 2015 cannot be reached by commercial means. The purpose is for the Regional Councils to organize competitive bidding among the telecommunications operators.

Where public funds are needed to construct networks, money will be raised by auctioning off certain radio frequencies for commercial use, as well as a telecommunications tax levied on providers in the country, somewhat equivalent to the United States’ Universal Service Fund, which helps subsidize rural telephone service.

Finnish consumers can still elect not to purchase broadband service, and can still select among several providers, choosing the speed and technology they want for the connection.  The Finnish government will offer a “domestic help credit,” akin to a tax credit or subsidy, to help disadvantaged Finns purchase computers and other equipment to use broadband service.

Finland joins Switzerland in providing universal access to broadband.  The Swiss government was the first in Europe to mandate broadband service availability throughout the country as of January 1, 2008.  But the Swiss definition of broadband is much more limited, setting minimum acceptable speeds at just 600kbps downstream and 100kbps upstream.

Both the United States and the United Kingdom have universal service goals as well.  The UK government targets 2Mbps speed to “virtually all” homes by 2012, funded by a telephone line tax.

Thanks to Stop the Cap! reader Greg for the news tip.

Viewers may have to stick with TV to watch the Olympics for free.

While the rest of the wired world gets ready to sit back and enjoy Olympics coverage from China, Americans are being told you can have the Olympics online, but you better not have metered broadband access.

When NBC partnered with TVTonic to provide NBC Olympics On The Go,  it had to specifically warn viewers with metered broadband access not to bother.   Streaming high quality video feeds can consume a significant amount of bandwidth, and can easily allow unassuming viewers to win the the gold in the Biggest Bandwidth Overlimit Fee competition.

TVTonic's warning to broadband users to not use the service if they are using a broadband provider with usage caps.

Content providers are starting to wake up to the real threat of the imposition of usage caps across the United States, limiting cable and DSL broadband customers from accessing content that was developed specifically for the broadband platform.

TVTonic is just one of several online services that could effectively be shut out of doing business in the United States because of broadband usage caps.   The company provides access to over 100 broadband Internet TV feeds, many transmitted in “high definition” quality, all of which would bring viewers ever closer to hitting their monthly limit.

Other providers such as Hulu and Joost provide legal access to hundreds of TV series, movies and specials at no charge to viewers.   But with bandwidth usage caps, will you be willing to spend your limited bandwidth watching?

Suspiciously, the “bandwidth crisis” that the industry continues to blame for the imposition of unreasonable usage caps stops at the water’s edge.   Customers in Japan and Korea enjoy broadband connections often a hundred times faster than what is available in the United States, at much lower prices and no restrictive caps.   In fact, outside of North America, nobody has heard of a bandwidth crisis.

While many broadband providers continue to reap handsome profits from their broadband services, demands for higher shareholder returns and struggling quarterly results from their other product lines in a stagnant economy have led many to decide investing in a lobbying scare campaign is a better use of their money.   It’s easier to try and convince Americans they are the problem, and limit service accordingly.