I’m doing my small bit to improve the situation by refusing to stay anywhere that doesn’t offer a free internet connection.

I figure that the market has to demand free before we can demand “fast”, but one day we’ll get there.

Sometime ago I read broadband became a legal right in Finland in 2009. This was in an Enterprise 2.0 report for the EU Commission DGINFSO.

The last chapters are about the broadband penetration in the EU, this might interest you. Here goes the link and a quote:

http://www.scribd.com/mobile/doc/37018201

EU Commissioner Reding’s policy targets to have “internet broadband for all Europeans by 2010 and high-speed internet broadband for all Europeans by 2013” does not explicitly define connectivity speeds for the two goals. Generally, broadband is regarded as any speed in excess of 1 Mbps and high-speed broadband as a speed in excess of 30 or 40 Mbps.
The broadband performance of a country can be assessed not just on its coverage and penetration levels. The ultimate aim for Europe is, of course, not the diffusion of broadband technologies per se, but, rather, to pursue the i2020 political objectives to boost the countries’ ability to promote social, cultural and political change, and innovation as well as to increase competitiveness and ability to grow.
Europe’s Digital Competitiveness Report highlights how the broadband performance index clearly shows that – with just a few exceptions – countries with the highest rankings have a balanced combination of the different factors. Both Sweden and the Netherlands have high levels of broadband coverage and competition, high average speeds, relatively cheap prices, high levels of take-up of services, and a sound socio- economic context. Denmark, which is in third place, shares very similar features, but is lagging behind the others for what concerns competition. These three countries are also those with the highest broadband penetration rates.

I tell hotels that for me, internet access is like water. Imagine a hotel not providing water — or charging $10 a glass for it. Unacceptable!

How could we harness our collective clout to change the hotel policies? We need to let them know we’ll boycott them.

I don’t have an answer for the telecom providers. That’s monopoly at work. Perhaps if the regulators recognized how they are stifling innovation.

If we can come up with ways to bring Europe and the U.S. into the 21st century on this, I’m ready to man the barricades.

My argument is that it’s wrong, that I’m reading because I want to hear their thoughts, not those of a PR professional.

They would often then retort that the articles were their thoughts, but that AN Other had merely written them up for them. It’s an argument that still didn’t wash. Communication is important, so I’m sure these leaders know how to write well enough.

For me, if they don’t have the time and inclination to do these things themselves, then they shouldn’t publish them in their own name. It’s a charade.

Sadly I don’t think they were at all convinced. Naive and idealistic were some of the words pinged my way.