From Sam Edge, Ringwood, Hampshire, UK
I understand Merten Reglitz’s argument that internet access should become a human right. However, spending the best part of half a trillion dollars on this wouldn’t automatically give people access to clean water, enough food, basic healthcare or the means to make a decent living to pay for these things, which they might consider a higher priority(23 August, p 20).
A right to free internet would probably have to include the right to a reasonably up-to-date device and access to free electricity to power it, not to mention training. That is going to cost at least an order of magnitude more.
A more effective idea might be some form of right to a universal basic income. There is a lot of evidence that the rest – including internet access – would follow.