"Spain and France--once the EU telecommunications regulatory directives are up for revision--will present a joint proposal to introduce what we could sum up as 'Internet as universal utility,'" said Rafael Arias Salgado, Spain's minister of Public Works and the Economy.

"We think that the time has arrived, in the realm of community legislation, that Internet access as an absolutely decisive instrument-- particularly in sectors like education and health--must form part of what we consider universal services," he said.

If approved, the proposal would allow Spain to finance Net access with funds earmarked by Spain's General Telecommunications Law. This money, while "not a subsidy," would partially finance those companies (chosen through a public bid), "willing to extend networks to every corner of Spain."

"Defining the scope of the universal service obligation represents a delicate balance," stated a European Commission report on telecommunications. "Too narrow a vision of universal service and citizens may be kept out. . .too broad a vision and the competitive forces which are the principal driver of better services, lower prices and greater innovation will be held back as new players in the market will be deterred from entering."