Is high-speed Internet a human right?

A Q&A with telecom consultant Laura Bradley. More and more of modern life is moving online. And governments, including Canada's, have begun to look at how they can ensure everyone in the country has access to a secure, high-speed Internet connection in an era where everything is moving online -- from interactions with friends and family to government and medical services.

In a country the size of Canada, which also has a dispersed population, that is no easy task. Large Internet service providers have built huge wireless broadband networks and the government is finishing up with a $225-million broadband strategy. But many communities are still left without affordable and high-quality connections -- and could be stranded for many more years. In some cases, municipal politicians have become so frustrated that they have embarked on campaigns to fund their own networks.