In 2010 internet service providers were place under obligation to provide universal broadband, ensuring all residents have access to basic broadband services in the same way as they have to telephone connections or postal services.
Last October, Communications Minister Krista Kiuru requested the national Communications Authority FICORA to investigate the broadband market and speeds offered by operators to determine if the current official requirement of 1 Mbit/s was enough to cover the needs of the general public.
The conclusion of the study was that technological advances and new frequencies for mobile services have raised basic broadband net connections speeds and the need for a higher minimum rate.
In a press release on Tuesday, Kiuru stated that a reasonably priced and sufficiently fast network connection is a basic right of every Finn, and the FICORA survey showed that there is a clear demand for an ambitious increase in speed.
FICORA conceded that a 2 Mbit/s minimum may sound like a slow service, but even this may be a challenge for operators to guarantee in some geographical remote areas.