The Government's Broadband Tax

Location : EGXC Spotter Watch Member : Nope

50p per month will soon be added to our monthly broadband subscription which will go to the government.

I'm in two minds about this new tax. On one hand they say this new tax will go towards the broadband infrastructure being improved and expanded, so that every home is capable of getting broadband. That's a good thing right?

On the other hand, there are people paying the same monthly subscription cost for a 24mb line as some pay for 1mb lines. I've never thought this was fair, and now this new tax is being imposed on all users regardless of their speed.

With our current DSL technology I fail to see what can be done to improve speeds for those on long lines. Well, apart from having more exchanges. I guess that would work!! But my point is, as long as you're living 4 miles or more away from your exchange, with the system we're using today, you will be hard pressed to pass the 1mb mark, regardless of any improvements to infrastructure.

In conclusion, 50p per month towards improving the country's broadband? In principle a decent enough idea. My worry will be the implementation of these so called upgrades. I can't see it making a difference for the average internet user (except being 50p down of course).

Admin Location : East Midlands Spotter Watch Member : Yes

Another stealth tax.

And actually I expect that everyone will be charged for it from their network provider whether they have broadband or not.

ie

BT, Sky, Kingston et al...

Location : EGXC Spotter Watch Member : Nope

I'm guessing the government's plan is to upgrade all telephone exchanges to ADSL2+. This would increase people currently on 8mb lines to 24mb. Sounds good right? The trouble is that for people who are currently on 1mb lines, due to being on long lines (a lot of people), they will only see an increase to 2mb if they're lucky. It's not really a good enough solution if we're to take broadband in the UK seriously.

I think flogging the copper wire dead horse should come to an end now. Continually finding new and expensive ways to squeeze a bit more out of our phone lines will only ever have limited success.

The only tried and tested method in this country of receiving a decent, high performance broadband is via virgin's fibre optic cable, but of course availablity of cable broadband in the UK is limited mainly to cities. If the government are serious about improving the country's broadband, then forget about copper wire. Let's get everyone onto cable!! Then we ALL get 20mb or 50mb lines.

Admin Location : East Midlands Spotter Watch Member : Yes

The problem is Keiron, is that alot of the structures of the exchanges were last upgraded in the early 80's.

Some of the locations are in weird and wonderful places, and the BT exchanges are open to every Tom, Dick and Harry who claim to be a telecoms company.

We are with Sky, who are not allowed access inside any of the BT exchanges and during October last year, we have lost internet and phone connectivity 25 times. My exchange is half a mile from where I live.

It is in a building that was built in 1926.

Apparently one audit stated it will take longer to upgrade the telephone lines and exchanges than it would to upgrade the rail network.

Location : Mid Cheshire Spotter Watch Member : Yes

We are in the process of changing to Digital TV at a cost to us ,the general public, of millions. This was because the government sold off the existing analogue system (Which is owned by us the licence payers) to the mobile phone network providers!!!! did they offer us any asistance in paying to upgrade arials / Free view boxes , in short no,ok so they have just started giving a bit of a hand out to the very elderly, but what about the millions of others who need a hand???
They pocketed Billions that was then used to prop up ailing banks !!!
Why oh why does anybody think this will be any different,at least 20,000,000 homes business's 50p per month = £120,000,000 per annum you could build an awful lot of exchanges for that !!!!

The Government's Broadband Tax Icon_evil

Moderator Location : Between Coventry and Leicester

I do not have a phone line to my house so am i exempt from this tax?.

Location : EGXC Spotter Watch Member : Nope

vulcan558 wrote:: I do not have a phone line to my house so am i exempt from this tax?.

You pay your 50p via your ISP monthly subscription, regardless of whether you're on DSL, Cable, Mobile, etc..

They are all classified as broadband, and therefore elligible for this tax.

Location : EGXC Spotter Watch Member : Nope

Apparently one audit stated it will take longer to upgrade the telephone lines and exchanges than it would to upgrade the rail network.

And a good number of people will not see much, if any, benefit once the ADSL2+ upgrade has occured. This is my point about the government throwing money into what is essentially 20th century technology, for a 21st century issue. There will come a point where it will be simply impossible to improve line speeds any further through DSL, and nothing will ever compensate for the distance between user and telephone exchange.

As I see it there are two realistic solutions. One is to get everyone onto cable (fibre optic). The other is to increase the number of telephone exchanges in every town and city in the UK. Sadly I don't see either of these two things happening, 50p tax or no. Instead the government will continue throwing millions of pounds at our existing out-of-date system and really, for a lot of internet users, nothing will have changed.

Subject: Broadband 2009-09-25, 11:17

Wasnt it Blair that said he wanted every home to have free internet connection?????