Even more previous generations' people would make the same argument: "Is telephone really a necessity? We lived without telephones and we were fine, our life was fine" and so on. Replace telephone with telegram or a car for even earlier generations.

Now the problem with this argument is that we're not living in that generation. We're living in the present generation, where a decent, if not high speed internet is absolutely essential in order to progress. Can you still live without internet in the present generation? Sure. But is there a remote chance that such life would be comfortable and painless? Absolutely not. Not even a chance.

I hear you but you can counter-claim it easily for high-speed Internet for business. Just look at how critical the Internet is to all kinds of firms these days. Even those that mostly don't need the Internet often have an expensive, leased line for main HQ. There's also the meme of traveling salespeople and such who benefit from higher speeds.

So, with so much dependence, it stands to reason a country's businesses can be a bit more competitive and efficient if they have high-speed, low-cost Internet. The Internet part is necessary for most even if other attributes aren't. They're certainly useful, though, as they increase capabilities and profit simultaneously.

From 2011: 80% of fortune 500 jobs accept only online applications.

http://2010-2014.commerce.gov/blog/2011/12/30/look-ahead-201...

Do you consider basic telephone service a necessity?