“Perpetual technological innovation is so much a part of contemporary life that it is difficult even to imagine the world without it,” Rosen writes, but maybe we should start to try to imagine it. A modern-day Steampunk might well say that perpetual innovation without reference to a sustainable future is a form of madness. (Reclaiming retro-technology for the Green Movement is one aspect of the Steampunk movement.)

From today, everyone will have access to a reasonably priced broadband connection, says the Finnish government, in the same way as everyone can access telephone or postal services.

Every business will also be included in the pledge, which initially guarantees a download speed of at least 1Mb.