10Mbps Is A Human Right, According To The UK

Having a fast internet connection has become central to normal life in the digital age and the UK is well aware of this fact. That’s why the country’s leaders are proposing to pass legislation that would make having internet speeds of at least 10Mbps a human right. This would essentially force broadband providers to give customers fast internet at affordable prices.

BT, one of the UK’s largest broadband provider initially offered to spend up to £600 million to increase its infrastructure and provide up to 1.4 million residents with the suggested minimum speed. However, instead of simply accepting the offer, ministers decided that it would be best to go the legislative route in order to have the standard applied to every ISP, Engadget reports.

"We know how important broadband is to homes and businesses and we want everyone to benefit from a fast and reliable connection. We are grateful to BT for their proposal but have decided that only a regulatory approach will make high speed broadband a reality for everyone in the UK, regardless of where they live or work," Culture Secretary Karen Bradley had said about the legislation.

The initiative is called Universal Service Obligation (USO) and it’s expected to pass in 2018. However, it will take at least two years for the changes to fully take effect.

As Futurism notes, this choice by the leaders in the UK is particularly noteworthy when compared to how the broadband industry is in the U.S. under the Trump administration. With the Federal Communications Commission voting to repeal Net Neutrality, ISPs now have the power to abuse their consumers to their hearts’ content.

By simply passing a law that would essentially hold the ISPs to the promises that they made, the UK government is clearly putting the needs of its people ahead that of corporations. This isn’t something that the Republican-majority FCC can claim.