Posted June 16, 200916 yr From: http://technology.timesonline.co.uk/tol/ne...icle6512522.ece Millions face telephone tax under Government's broadband plans for internet Dan Sabbagh, Media Editor A tax on phone lines could be introduced in an effort to try and extend the reach of super-fast broadband into the countryside. A £6 a year tax on every phone line in the country is part of the plan outlined in the Digital Britain White Paper to stimulate the development future fibre optic services. Asked if people would be willing to pay the new levy, Lord Carter of Barnes, the communications minister, said: “How will the public react? Well, we’ll find out.” The new tax would generate an estimated £150 million a year and is aimed as a stimulus to help BT or Virgin Media pay for the infrastructure. But with the bill for extending fibre optic into the countryside expected to run into many billions, it is unclear if it will be enough to ensure the project's success. Only a minority of households can access super-fast broadband today, but BT and Virgin Media are in the process of ensuring about 12.5 million homes, around half the country, will be able to connect to the service by 2012. Both companies say it is not cost-effective to connect the rest of the country. Super-fast broadband, running at speeds of over 10 megabits a second, allows people to watch multiple channels of high definition television and download films in minutes. As as speeds rise films will be downloadable in seconds. The key points of the White Paper include: *All homes to have broadband of at least 2 megabits by 2012, with £200 million from the BBC licence fee to be used to fund extension to rural areas. *“Fourth generation” fast mobile internet services to be introduced subject to mobile phone companies agreeing to clear the relevant portions of radio spectrum. *Digital radio to become the sole national standard with FM and AM radio stations to be switched off by the end of 2015 *Internet providers to introduce a string of technical measures to stop persistent illegal downloaders. Ofcom will have reserve powers to force internet providers to censor pirate websites and suspend connections of people who infringe copyright. *Support given to a prospective merger between Channel 4 and the BBC’s commercial arm, with the aim of safeguarding Channel 4’s future. Deal depends on both broadcasters reaching agreement. * Proposal that BBC to lose monopoly of licence fee with up to £130 million to be made available to support regional and local news on ITV from 2013. Children’s programmes for channels other than the BBC may also benefit from this money.
June 16, 200916 yr Author Can someone explain all the above to me? Does this mean we'll all need to buy DAB radios by 2015? I'm currently so far from the exchange I can only get broadband of 750kb at best. Some other reports I've read say it's not going to be cost effective to expand super fast broadband into rural areas. So am I going to see an improvement for my £6 tax or not? Is it only people who have broadband who need to pay this £6 or every person with a phone line? :unsure:
June 16, 200916 yr its ridiculous tbh No offence to you intended :blush: Those that live in the countryside CHOOSE to live there, they have the entire country to live in so if they choose to live in the countryside then that is their problem if they can't get broadband, want broadband ? simple, don't live in the countryside, don't see why everyone should subsidise their lifestyle choice Edited June 16, 200916 yr by B.A Baracus
June 16, 200916 yr Author But I'm not complaining. From some reports I've read it seems 25%-30% of the UK is never going to have superfast broadband (which will probably include me!). So in effect isn't it the people in the remote areas who will still be paying this tax but who won't benefit in any way? In effect, won't I paying for the townies to get even faster broadband when I get hee-haw? :blink:
June 16, 200916 yr Okay, question... How much profits do the telcom companies make every year.....? BILLIONS..... And we're expected to believe that they cant put in themselves to pay for the infrastructure without yet another stealth tax, however minor it may be....
June 16, 200916 yr Author We're already way behind other countries aren't we? I posted earlier I was lucky to get 700kb. I was wrong. My maximum is actually 512kb. The BT engineer who came out to fix my phone last year said that's all anyone is going to get in my village unless they totally replace all the cables. Which he said ain't gonna happen due to the cost. But even Gordon going on about 2MB broadband in every house (which probably will never happen anyway-see above :lol: ), 2MB is pretty $h!t as well isn't it? I bet countries like Japan etc are on 100MB by the time we get 2MB. :lol: I know it's only £6 and if I thought I'd benefit in some way I wouldn't mind so much. It's a bit unfair to those elderly people who don't know one end of a computer from the other to be hit with a £6 tax though. :blink:
June 16, 200916 yr Fine. At last, some transparency. "We want to tax you £6 and this is what we want to use it for" - much better than trying to squeeze a load of small stealth taxes out of me. Tell me straight and I'll tell my political representatives if I am unhappy and why. Tax is not a word which upsets me. Taxes come and taxes go. Income tax used to be much higher, rates were extortionate and I used to have to pay a dog licence. overall I pay much less now. I've always said I would willingly pay extra in tax to provide or maintain certain key services for all, on condition that the extra I paid was ringfenced and guaranteed to be used for that purpose. This is one I'd agree with. A levy of £6 is less than 2 pence a day over one year. IMHO education is still the backbone of society. In the past, philanthropists made education for all an aim and built public libraries and museums. I love books but now I rarely reach for an atlas, an encyclopedia etc. I go online, and so do all of my friends. The internet is the equivalent modern medium for the education and entertainment for all.
June 17, 200916 yr £6 isn't too bad, but where i live most of the time in Dundee i don't need quicker internet. Dundee is cabled i could in theory get Virgin's top package in my new flat. When i lived at the uni across the road in a slightly older building, [1 year older, my new flat is just about a year old] i could get over 20mb. I'd pay it because my parents aren't covered by cable in the former County town of Fife.
June 17, 200916 yr We get 4-5 meg Broadband now but it drops a bit in the evenings. £6 a year isn't a lot really. There was an OAP on the news saying she hasn't got BB nor will she ever have it so why should she pay? Maybe make pensioners and people on benefits exempt? Edited June 17, 200916 yr by Crazy Chris
June 17, 200916 yr its ridiculous tbh No offence to you intended :blush: Those that live in the countryside CHOOSE to live there, they have the entire country to live in so if they choose to live in the countryside then that is their problem if they can't get broadband, want broadband ? simple, don't live in the countryside, don't see why everyone should subsidise their lifestyle choice bloody hell craig, you have caught crazy chris disease! lol , thats daft! people who live (sometimes HAVE to live (farmers)) in rural areas pay taxes, do the lottery, etc but dont get half the benefits that city people get...they are subsidising them!
June 17, 200916 yr Fine. At last, some transparency. "We want to tax you £6 and this is what we want to use it for" - much better than trying to squeeze a load of small stealth taxes out of me. Tell me straight and I'll tell my political representatives if I am unhappy and why. Like they'll actually do anything about it.... :rolleyes: They're too busy filling in over-inflated expense forms..... :lol: Yes, the amount is minor, but my question still remains - why cant the likes of Virgin, Orange, 02, Vodafone, etc put in the cash, why is it that joe public is paying another stealth tax on top of the VAT we pay for these services....? We already pay Virgin, Sky, O2, etc a lot of money for their services, just what is it they're using their vast profits for if it's not to invest in this kind of infrastructure.....? Are they just too concerned with paying out dividends to their shareholders instead.....? <_<
June 17, 200916 yr people who live (sometimes HAVE to live (farmers)) in rural areas pay taxes, do the lottery, etc but dont get half the benefits that city people get...they are subsidising them! To be fair, that's prob true in many respects.... I have to say, I too thought Craig was being harsh with that statement.... You kind of NEED people living in the sticks to live/work on farms, orchards, vineyards, etc... No farmers, no food in supermarkets innit..... :rolleyes:
June 17, 200916 yr its ridiculous tbh No offence to you intended :blush: Those that live in the countryside CHOOSE to live there, they have the entire country to live in so if they choose to live in the countryside then that is their problem if they can't get broadband, want broadband ? simple, don't live in the countryside, don't see why everyone should subsidise their lifestyle choice What a stupid statement, if we all moved to London to get faster broadband that might cause a few problems :lol: , will the last person in the country milk the cows one last time, and sheer the sheep :D
June 17, 200916 yr Maybe make pensioners and people on benefits exempt? Anything else you would like for free while you're at it, like food, alcohol, petrol,adult movies,male strippergrams ;) . Get a job and pay for things like the rest of us do.
June 19, 200916 yr am i missing the plot here? What has fibre optic broadband connections got to do with copper telephone lines. Why not tax pedestrians for crossing roads next!
June 19, 200916 yr Pay the £6 now but expect a better and cheaper service from the communications companies. and to British Telecom - NO MORE THROTTLING - their service is an absolute disgrace and a complete rip off.
June 19, 200916 yr If you need a fast broadband service it’s simple live in a populated area; if you chose to live away from civilization then you chose to go without amenities including broadband imo. Why should the taxpayer fund such a frivolous waste of money on infrastructure for lifestyle choices? IMO the laying and maintenance of telephone lines are a cost of telecom companies and should be deducted before profit.
June 19, 200916 yr Pay the £6 now but expect a better and cheaper service from the communications companies. and to British Telecom - NO MORE THROTTLING - their service is an absolute disgrace and a complete rip off. I agree. We get 5 meg in the daytime but less than 1 meg in the evenings. :angry:
June 19, 200916 yr I agree. We get 5 meg in the daytime but less than 1 meg in the evenings. :angry: Get up off your arse, get a job and then you might be able to afford an upgrade. ;)
June 19, 200916 yr Get up off your arse, get a job and then you might be able to afford an upgrade. ;) We're on Option 3, unlimited. It's the SPEED I'm talking about. Throttled by BT in the evenings. :angry:
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