Internet access = human right

Time: 8:29am
Date: 9 March 2010
Location: How!5, Clayton.

Something came up in BBC that interested me today.

Is internet access is a 'human right'?

I think it's more or less related to the freedom of information and freedom of speech seeing that those are intrinsic rights for people. Yes, internet access has the potential to provide a democratic platform for a convergence of ideas but unfortunately, digital divide between nations made it slightly hard for poorer countries to catch up with the times. Countries like China and Thailand who imposed censorship on the internet... Are the people, then, denied of their rights?

all in all, is the importance of internet access be equated as human right to freedom of expression?