Free Broadband for everyone!

[Old Greg]

Allegedly they are going to fund it from taxing Amazon, etc.
To which the Tory response was "you can't do that or every big business will leave the UK"

So, the official Tory policy is tax small businesses and individuals. Leave big corporations out of any taxation.

So Amazon will stop selling in the UK?

[AtW]

So, the official Tory policy is tax small businesses and individuals. Leave big corporations out of any taxation.

It's the effective policy pursued by both Labour and Cons.

[meridian]

I have the data that's been spouted by Labour and the industry comment in response. To me, it doesn't stack up either financially or sensibly.

I'm all for improving internet access. I think this proposal is the wrong way to achieve it.

Funny, that’s what the Conservatives said way back when there was a proposal to use public money to set up buildings to loan books for free, and (horrors!) to be run by local councils.

AKA public libraries.

Still, better to keep the plebs down where they belong, amiright? They’ll get what we deign to give them, and not a penny more.

Public Libraries

[ladymuck]

Funny, that’s what the Conservatives said way back when there was a proposal to use public money to set up buildings to loan books for free, and (horrors!) to be run by local councils.

AKA public libraries.

Still, better to keep the plebs down where they belong, amiright? They’ll get what we deign to give them, and not a penny more.

Public Libraries

That's quite funny. How times have changed since 1850.

I see your point, I really do. It's just that no-one advocated providing a free libarary in every home, did they?

[shaunbhoy]

Corbynista's to create fibre borg!

Parts of BT to be renationalised, other telcos to be told "Conform or be assimilated"!

So, anyone else think it's a good idea to vote labour?

But it's all free? What's not to like?

Owen Jones

[meridian]

That's quite funny. How times have changed since 1850.

I see your point, I really do. It's just that no-one advocated providing a free libarary in every home, did they?

A journey of transformation starts with a single step, it just takes courage to make that first one ;-)

I don’t happen to agree with “free in every home” either (though there is probably scope for “free/subsidised to those unable to afford it”), or with nationalising anything. But I do believe there’s a need for a nationally coordinated scheme to improve the UK’s broadband capability. Done decently, not one of those PPI-siphon-all-the-funds-to-the-private-sector things.

[DoctorStrangelove]

Trying very hard to remember when the UK nationally coordinated anything.

[DimPrawn]

It's certainly no longer a luxury, especially when a lot of government services are now digital by default.

Eating is not a luxury, without food and water we all die.

Therefore by the same logic, in the interest of fairness to all, food and water should be free. And to prevent disgusting capitalist pigs from profiteering on the needs of the people, all supermarkets and food suppliers must be publicly owned and run!

[DimPrawn]

Oh, and this is how the markets react to even the thought of Komrade Korbyn being supreme leader.

MARKET REPORT: Telecoms hit by Jeremy Corbyn plot to nationalise firms | Daily Mail Online

Britain's three biggest telecoms giants see nearly £1.6bn wiped off their value amid Labour's latest nationalisation pledge

[rogerfederer]

Oh, and this is how the markets react to even the thought of Komrade Korbyn being supreme leader.

MARKET REPORT: Telecoms hit by Jeremy Corbyn plot to nationalise firms | Daily Mail Online

Are you aware that BTOpenreach has been repeatedly mentioned by the Conservatives as a target for 'public ownership' (nationalisation in the Tory word to avoid stimulating your nerves) the past few years?

When people are clutching at straws they generally quote figures that look large to them rather than percentages, because large numbers are supposed to impress idiots; anything above a hundred million is fair game for such types. BT's share price was down 3% initially and then 1.5 to 2% overall on the day when I last checked. Their share price has plummeted over the years due to bad management and the real clincher: infrastructure monopoly.

I've been unlucky enough to work there in the past and the place is essentially a monopoly with monopolistic attitude from senior management. They don't like providing increased access to competitors and enjoy, understandably, being in a position in which they can get away with obfuscated the real reason for having such slow bundle roll-our and neutralising their monopolistic position at exchanges and throughout their never-ending broadband roll-out.

The only reason some people are sympathetic to Labour's proposals are that they can check how poorly BT have performed over the years and the levels of difficulty they've encountered in getting broadband problems fixed, third parties trying to compete in a limited environment and the overall poor service from BT forever.

Aside from this it would be quite incredible if the distant areas from the major cities were able to receive reliable quality internet provision. The limited villages and towns in Scotland that have this have many young professionals working from home the majority of the time in compatible jobs, such as penetration testing. Even just 5 years ago this wasn't possible due to the unreliable nature of low speed broadband.

I'd rather BT was broken up and perhaps certrain aspects nationalised/'public ownership', but I can see the rationale behind Labour's policy given that BT have no interest in doing a good job or speeding up reaching the targets they repeatedly miss.