And I’m not alone. Countries such as France, Greece, Estonia, Spain and Finland have already moved to make it a right for their citizens. I know this can be a complicated topic to discuss, as Ange Fitzpatrick points when cast against the civil rights and women’s rights struggles internet access seems laughable. Thomas Jefferson admirably covers all bases when he describes the unalienable rights as including life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but I think anyone would struggle to convincingly tack on to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness and a high speed internet connection. What would be next- a flat screen TV? Yet, there is so much more happening online, it is a huge source of information, a tool for communication. As Dr. Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of the International Telecommunication Union, states “The right to communicate cannot be ignored,” “The internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created.” “We have entered the knowledge society and everyone must have access to participate.” He concluded that governments must “regard the internet as basic infrastructure – just like roads, waste and water”. We can not look at internet access as a frivolous tool that allows people to update their Facebook
