What if Internet Access Was a Basic Utility?
Published on 29 October 13
Aida0
Your average house in the Western world would be signed up or subscribed to the following utilities: electricity, water, gas, telephone, and and possibly cable TV. Compared to the aforementioned, Internet is but a recent addition to the usual lineup of services that any typical home would be inclined to sign up for, yet until now, it doesn’t exactly feel like internet access is a utility, per se…
But, what if it was?
Standardization
The first thing thing one would probably notice is that access throughout the country (or at least, throughout each state) would be a relatively uniform set of packages for internet access. This wouldn’t mean a monopoly, as multiple providers could still be available in any given area, but because it is a utility, there would be standard requirements for it that are provided by the government.
This would definitely be a benefit to subscribers, as companies won’t be able to just dictate prices and give customers a raw deal. Standard packages would determine a baseline as to what is acceptable service.
Quality
Very related to the item above, treating internet access like a basic utility would mean that there would be more defined standards in place for the providers, and thus guarantee a more consistent level of quality for the consumer.
I’m not a big fan of too many rules and regulations myself, but a necessary level of laws and regulation would still be to the benefit of the people that partake in a particular service. I know I would like my internet access to be as consistent as possible, delivering the speed, bandwidth, and consistent service that I paid for.
Distribution
If internet access was considered a basic utility, then it would be a paramount concern for internet access to be available to many, if not all households and businesses all over the country. In North America, there are still a significant amount of people that are not getting decent (or any at all) internet access; thinking about it in the frame of mind that considers it a utility would be akin to saying not all houses have electricity.
Identifying it as a utility would give the necessary push to make decent internet access available to everyone.
Prioritization
Related to the point above, prioritization of internet infrastructure would be increased if it were considered an essential utility. Building extensive internet-related infrastructure will also make the overall performance of the service better, with more bandwidth and data centers able to meet the demands of the Internet’s users.
With highly-trained networking professionals and powerful data center infrastructure management software, the speed, quality, and consistency of internet can only improve further.
A More Connected World
The ultimate end of internet access as a utility is a more extensive network of information consumers and sharers. Just as we need electricity and water to live our lives, the right to internet access has been highlighted as something every person must have, as this meets a person’s need to be educated, entertained, informed, and able to communicate with the rest of the world.
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