[governance] Internet for All ... this time from the UK

[Roland Perry]

In message <49867410.5000106 at itforchange.net>, at 09:48:24 on Mon, 2 Feb 
2009, Guru <guru at itforchange.net> writes
>As I suggested earlier, education in todays world has to necessarily 
>include acquiring capacities to navigate the information society that 
>the internet is 'creating' and in this sense, 'right to education', 
>which is part of the UNDHR, subsumes a 'right to the internet'.

If you are suggesting that Internet is *essential* in order to provide 
education  (and therefore a right to education includes a right to 
Internet) then I must disagree with you.

But I *can* agree that [electrical] power, PCs/software and some 
education (which includes educating the family to permit all family 
members to use the access, as well as basic literacy) are necessary to 
access the Internet.

>Also Roland, the '90:10' ratio may be true in some places, but in most 
>parts of the world is likely to be more around 50:50 or even 20:80 
>..... suggesting even greater requirement of global efforts including 
>those relating to public policy.

If the ratio is below [approx] 90:10 (which it's obvious is the case in 
mush of the world), then it is still possible (and right and proper) to 
have an ambition to extend access to the Internet. But don't call it 
"Universal Service", because that's a regulatory concept, which requires 
the situation where the many can subsidise the few.
-- 
Roland Perry
____________________________________________________________
You received this message as a subscriber on the list:
     governance at lists.cpsr.org
To be removed from the list, send any message to:
     governance-unsubscribe at lists.cpsr.org

For all list information and functions, see:
     http://lists.cpsr.org/lists/info/governance