• UK: Labour scraps £6-a-year broadband tax in pre-election wash-up
    22 replies, posted
[url]http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8606639.stm[/url] [quote=BBC News][b]The broadband tax has been scrapped in the last-minute scramble to rush key legislation through before Parliament is dissolved next week.[/b] The tax was a key part of Labour's strategy to ensure all parts of the country get super-fast broadband. The Conservatives have always opposed the tax, preferring to allow the market more time to roll out services before government intervention. The levy was among three taxes in the Finance Bill to be dropped. The 10% tax increase on cider and tax relief on holiday homes were also scrapped. The 50p-a-month broadband tax would have been applied to all households with a landline telephone. It is estimated that it would have raised about £170m a year to help fund broadband roll-out. It was aimed at the final third of the country where experts say it would be too expensive for commercial players such as BT and Virgin Media to roll out fibre services. But the tax proved controversial and the Conservatives had vowed to scrap it if it had become law and they had won the election. If funding is needed to roll broadband out to rural areas, the Conservatives plans to use some of the TV license fee set aside for digital switch-over. That would not be available until 2012. The cross-party Business Innovation and Skills committee of MPs had labelled the tax unfair, because most of those who would pay it would not benefit from it. It is likely to be reinstated if Labour is re-elected in the 6 May general election. Andrew Ferguson, editor of broadband news website ThinkBroadband, said it made the future of fast broadband uncertain. "Dropping of the 50p per month tax will be welcomed by those that thought it was unfair, but it throws the current plan Labour plans to have next generation broadband to 90% of homes by 2017 in disarray," he said. Malcolm Corbett, chief executive of the Independent Networks Co-operative Association (Inca), was more pragmatic. "The government will have to raise money by other means, perhaps by getting the private sector and the communities themselves involved. With them on board, you have a fighting chance of achieving universal access," he said.[/quote]
Labour are stupid, don't vote for them. [editline]05:49PM[/editline] It's also a trap. They'll just reintroduce the laws once they've been voted in.
[quote]The 10% tax increase on cider and tax relief on holiday homes were also scrapped.[/quote] Anyone know why this was scrapped? I don't see a problem with it.
[QUOTE=subenji99;21211567]Anyone know why this was scrapped? I don't see a problem with it.[/QUOTE] Why are more speed cameras being put up if they're causing accidents? [i]they want you to suffer![/i] :byodood:
[QUOTE=subenji99;21211567]Anyone know why this was scrapped? I don't see a problem with it.[/QUOTE] They are dropping the least important things to get the bigger things through.
[QUOTE=Thom12255;21211748]They are dropping the least important things to get the bigger things through.[/QUOTE] No, they just want to appease the voters so that they have a chance of being elected.
[QUOTE=radioactive;21211847]No, they just want to appease the voters so that they have a chance of being elected.[/QUOTE] Dropping this essentially means dropping their broadband plans and pledges, it doesn't seem like a very good move if they're going for the votes.
[QUOTE=smurfy;21211877]Dropping this essentially means dropping their broadband plans and pledges, it doesn't seem like a very good move if they're going for the votes.[/QUOTE] Labour are Stupid, if they want more money to spend on the country, we shouldn't be wasting out time and money by sending soldiers to the middle east to piss a few muslims off.
They're dropping this so they don't have to debate and do further work on it. Doing so would take to long and the whole bill wouldn't get through.
My idea : Nationalize the whole fucking system, and give everybody a 100 meg line.
[QUOTE=evilking1;21212133]My idea : Nationalize the whole fucking system, and give everybody a 100 meg line.[/QUOTE] Cud b cool
[QUOTE=evilking1;21212133]My idea : Nationalize the whole fucking system, and give everybody a 100 meg line.[/QUOTE] Remove copyright laws on the internet and you've got my vote.
[QUOTE=smurfy;21212174]Cud b cool[/QUOTE] Don't be a dissin' popper, nationalize the dam' copper
[QUOTE=evilking1;21212133]My idea : Nationalize the whole fucking system, and give everybody a 100 meg line.[/QUOTE] Not a bad idea really, but it won't happen
[QUOTE=Arsonist;21212206]Not a bad idea really, but it won't happen[/QUOTE] Dis right ere. The government doesn't nationalise stuff any more, they privatise if anything.
[QUOTE=smurfy;21212223]Dis right ere. The government doesn't nationalise stuff any more, they privatise if anything.[/QUOTE] Even though everything is going down the shitter, do we have to make the problem bigger? Break the codes and rules, don't be a bunch of tools peace
[QUOTE=subenji99;21211567]Anyone know why this was scrapped? I don't see a problem with it.[/QUOTE] Because how will MPs possibly survive with a cider price increase?! [editline]06:47PM[/editline] [QUOTE=evilking1;21212133]My idea : Nationalize the whole fucking system, and give everybody a 100 meg line.[/QUOTE] Yes because the government totally has the money to lay down new fibre optic connections.
[QUOTE=markg06;21212321]Yes because the government totally has the money to lay down new fibre optic connections.[/QUOTE] They don't have any money, but are still shelling out billions to the military. A nationalised ISP makes more sense. Super fast broadband the whole of the UK will cause a huge boom in internet based economy.
Whatever happens, we are way behind with our broadband penetration. If you look at [url=http://speedtest.net/global.php#0,3]the speedtest data[/url], Germany's average speed is 10 Mb/s, France's is 8.18 Mb/s, and ours is 5.87 Mb/s.
I still think Virgin have the right idea. Fed up of storms messing with your satelite tv? We'll send it down fucking cables, so you won't get any problems.
[QUOTE=radioactive;21212809]I still think Virgin have the right idea. Fed up of storms messing with your satelite tv? We'll send it down fucking cables, so you won't get any problems.[/QUOTE] sir you seem to have dug up my cables and/or they aren't working for some reason where is my broadband, phone and tv sir i live in a remote part of the country why can i not get ur services ok but can u plz extend ur services to my area oh i c my area iz not profitable enuff nvm loL!!
[QUOTE=subenji99;21211567]Anyone know why this was scrapped? I don't see a problem with it.[/QUOTE] So dey wunt lose da mingming vote u get me diked??!??!!?!?!?!
Wasn't there a fund set aside for super fast broadband that was squandered by BT anyway?
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