Internet Access as a Right

technologyinfrastructurerightspolicyeconomy

Get to the Point

Governments should guarantee affordable, high-speed internet access as a basic right for all residents.

Treat as a Right

The UN Human Rights Council affirmed that the same rights people have offline must be protected online and condemned intentional internet shutdowns—underscoring access as essential to expression and participation.
UN HRC (2016) — Resolution 32/13 (human rights online)
Digital gaps track income: lower-income Americans are far less likely to have home broadband or a computer, making connectivity a prerequisite for equal opportunity in school, work, and civic life.
Pew Research Center — Digital divide persists (2021)
Broadband expansion is linked to economic growth, with World Bank analyses finding measurable GDP gains as high-speed internet adoption rises.
World Bank — IC4D 2009: Economic Impacts of Broadband

Not a Guaranteed Right

Universal connectivity is expensive and technically challenging—especially in rural and remote areas—requiring significant public funding and clear targets.
OECD (2025) — Closing Broadband Connectivity Divides for All
Competition-focused policy can lower prices and spur investment; OECD guidance emphasizes promoting competition and easing deployment over heavy-handed state provision.
OECD (2021) — Council Recommendation on Broadband Connectivity
Labeling internet access a fundamental ‘right’ risks conflating service provision with human rights obligations, a concern raised by civil-liberties analysts.
Cato Institute — Annals of Unhelpful Polling: Internet Access Edition

Summary

Proponents argue that connectivity underpins free expression, economic participation, and equal opportunity, pointing to UN human-rights resolutions, persistent digital divides, and growth links from broadband adoption. Skeptics warn that universal service is costly and complex, contend that competition-oriented policy can expand access without declaring a new right, and question whether framing internet access as a fundamental right dilutes human-rights doctrine.

Historical Context

Debates intensified after a 2016 UN Human Rights Council resolution affirmed offline rights online and condemned shutdowns. Many countries expanded broadband plans and subsidies, while policy bodies like the OECD urged competition and targeted public funding to bridge rural and low-income gaps. The COVID-19 era further spotlighted connectivity as critical infrastructure, fueling disputes over rights language versus pragmatic delivery models.

Internet Access as a Right

Get to the Point

Treat as a Right

Not a Guaranteed Right

Summary

Historical Context

Sources