True we need to start thinking of it as infrastructure. You don't pay for the road that leads to you house. Good analogy.
UK General Election - 12th December 2019 | Con 365, Lab 203, LD 11, SNP 48, Other 23 - Tory Majority of 80
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True we need to start thinking of it as infrastructure. You don't pay for the road that leads to you house. Good analogy.
Well you do pay for it, through taxes. The devil will in the detail here, how much of our tax will go to pay for this per person?
I can pretty much guarantee you nobody in the UK is avoiding the internet because of financial status. We have the world's highest smartphone penetration and a 99% internet usage rate amongst those under 45. Access issues aside, anybody who wants to use the internet can do so already. It's just an ill thought through giveaway to win votes.
If its £20b then about 60 quid per year per tax payer on average i would guess.
Yes it could be said about anything, but this is a new proposal to spend new taxes, so it is quite reasonable to debate what they should be spent on.
Once again, and I'm not the first to say it. I'm not questioning the importance of access I'm questioning why it should be free.
Tax is simple and anyone who is criticising Labour plans is being disingenuous to themselves. The more tax you get to keep the less government will get to spend on public services. The more tax you will pay the more government will have to spend on public services. Prioritise accordingly, do you want to live in a ghetto but you have more money or do you want to live in a better place but you have less money? You cannot have it both ways.
'There is no such thing as a free lunch'
Imagine complaining about being offered the best internet for free. The alternatives for where the money could go offered here aren't going to be offered by whoever you're voting for either, so there's nothing to complain about. Also don't need to aim everything at the very poorest. There's nothing wrong with something good for the working class.
I don't get why businesses get it free- surely get them to pay for it all?
What???????????????????????????????
You alright there pal?
Yeah, I'd expect businesses to pay. If feasible it'd be good if they pay once they get to a certain size, to help small local business.
What amuses me is this 30 billion or whatever it is... it's less than the cost of replacing Trident.
Yet people don't act like that is something we can't afford to do... replacing Trident isn't seem as some fanciful crazy waste of money. Yet massively improving our digital infrastructure and internet access for all? Madness! Just who is going to pay for it?
Yet people don't act like that is something we can't afford to do... replacing Trident isn't seem as some fanciful crazy waste of money. Yet massively improving our digital infrastructure and internet access for all? Madness! Just who is going to pay for it?
Might cost more to administer that than just give it free to everyone.
You're suggesting its a simple binary choice when it isnt, its a scale between two end points.
Are people here seriously suggesting providing internet on a large scale is prohibitively expensive? How do the companies that do it now pay for it if not by through the payments of their customers?
By borrowing against future income.
Largely through government subsidies funnily enough.
I pay approximately the same for my water as I pay for my broadband. Why can't they give everyone free water, I could get on board with that. Offering free broadband is just a gimmick.
I just explained a reason why but you had a seizure so we don't know why you disagree.
That's the first sensible point I've heard in favour it being free, it should be taken into consideration.
And where will that future income come from if not from their customers?
Yay I win a point
That and an appreciating balance sheet. Not saying its unaffordable, just saying its not done on a simple cash in cash out model.
Yeah fair point.
So either way you save the same? It's a bit of a gimmicky idea, but it's not a gimmick to everyone who saves money. It's ridiculous that a country that considers itself one the 'best' in the world has such shoddy infrastructure and technology as we do anyway.
Doing one will also improve the infrastructure of the country whereas the water thing won't, it'll just save us money on our bills. Guess which one colin thinks is a gimmick.
Think @Shamwow has already highlighted it but giving everyone free water is a bad idea. While I agree it's a necessity we do need some form of financial payment for it as we definitely want to avoid water wastage.
I just couldn't cope with changing my email address again. So many people to tell, so many websites to change. Feck off McDonnell.
The idea of having free fast internet for everyone isn't the problem, it's how the funding is going to be structured, how feasible the scheme is and the length of time it would take. Pie in the sky.
And offering free water would be moronic.
I would love to see Openreach nationalised. People don’t realise broadband is essentially a monopolised service (a bad one at that too) thanks to them.
We also pay taxes into Openreach already as it is heavily subsidised.
Nationalise Greggs and use it as the in-flight food on the newly nationalised British Airways. Now THERE'S an idea.
Free rail travel, free higher education, childcare, food, beer, holidays, trips to the brothel.....
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You don't need anything cos the State provides all.
But carry on making shite products that nobody wants to buy because you are all paying for your own government subsidised jobs.
And you can't work anywhere else because there is no competition.
"You are all individuals", "Yes we are all Individuals"
Very good, sounds more feasible.
Even if you hate the idea of poor people getting something for free, I would have thought the potential benefits to business, particularly small businesses would be supported. Certain types seem utterly incensed by the idea alone.
I can imagine you when they were talking about building all the roads and motorways etc. PIE IN THE SKY!
We've just announced we've won CL rights till 2024 this morning so expecting that to offset some of the damage as news filters through. (Long standing BT employee here)
There is a lot of speculation about what Broadband actually costs. I wouldn't be surprised if both the cap ex and op ex costs banded about are inflated by a fair bit. Our CEO isn't exactly going to come out and say it costs bugger all as a few million people might well pull out their BT bill and have a thing to say about it. Some interesting comments in the office about all this today anyway.
There is a lot to be said about A) Openreach's performance/efficiency and B) The market's ability to get fast fibre all over the country, years after the tech being available when it's being delivered quicker in countries that do things differently.
Certainly, it's my actual name without any stupid numbers or dots. Glad you're amused though, and highly amused at that apparently.Please don’t tell me you’re using your ISP’s provided email address?
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