Internet access is a fundamental right: Survey

Four in five people across 26 countries of the world, including India, believe that access to the Internet is a fundamental right, according to a recent poll.

The survey of more than 27,000 adults in these countries found strong support for net access on both sides of the digital divide. "The right to communicate cannot be ignored," Dr Hamadoun Toure, secretary-general of International Telecommunication Union, was quoted as saying by the BBC News.

"The Internet is the most powerful potential source of enlightenment ever created. We have entered the knowledge society and everyone must have access to participate," Toure said.

The survey conducted by GlobeScan for the BBC World Service, found that 87 per cent of users felt Internet access should be the "fundamental right of all people" while more than 70 per cent of non-users felt that they should have access to the net.

Overall, almost 79 per cent of those questioned said they either strongly agreed or somewhat agreed with the description of the Internet as a fundamental right - whether they had access to it or not.

Countries like Mexico, Brazil and Turkey most strongly supported the idea of net access as a right, the survey found. More than 90 per cent of those surveyed in Turkey - highest in any European Country - stated that Internet access is a fundamental right.