Perhaps the main need for fast connections is for time sensitive applications like streaming HD video. You are right that it isn't critical for downloading large files but downloading modern games over slow connections still takes an intolerably long time. Even on 2Mb I think it took me about 24 hours to download GTA IV from Steam for example.
£6 broadband levy may be trebled for homes with multiple lines
- Thread starter mattheman
- Start date
Perhaps the main need for fast connections is for time sensitive applications like streaming HD video. You are right that it isn't critical for downloading large files but downloading modern games over slow connections still takes an intolerably long time. Even on 2Mb I think it took me about 24 hours to download GTA IV from Steam for example.
Beyond the USO, they have no obligation to provide anything, hence the government plan. Judging by the rail fares we're not going to see that money going to substantial infrastructure improvements, just more patching of a dated system.
Right ok, my bad, I was under the false impression that because some of my google search results came out to be about sattelite bb, all of them were. Il take that back.
But while expensive, it is an option if you are that despirate
Right ok, my bad, I was under the false impression that because some of my google search results came out to be about sattelite bb, all of them were. Il take that back.
But whule expensive, it is an option if you are that despirate
Check out some of these prices...
http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&sour...&btnG=Google+Search&meta=&fp=24281d3b39391edb
£35 a month for the first one might not sound too bad, until you see it's for 2GB a month of usage and requires a £717 installation fee
Right ok, my bad, I was under the false impression that because some of my google search results came out to be about sattelite bb, all of them were. Il take that back.
But while expensive, it is an option if you are that despirate
arent most satelite BB one way? upstream is still through a phone line? and massive pings worse than 56k even if you can download fast
Soldato
why should it be poor, i'm literally 5 minutes away from my dad who's running 10mb and other homes that have similar, in my case the majority of the problem is down to the degraded/poor copper in use for the line, not the fact i'm miles away from the exchange.
i'm not after 20/50mb or stupid speeds like that as i realise the companies wont do it as its not worth the effort, but i think i have as much right to a decent quality phone line as anyone one else.
to give you an idea of the quality of the line, where i live has the phone system connected via a narrow band satallite dish because the line isn't up to the job.
i'd prefer my taxes spent on that than supporting some chavy little tart with 3 kids by 3 different dads.
The ones I looked at all have uploads well in excess of what is possible over a phone line (via dial-up) so it looks like you get upload via satellite too. Albeit still with huge latency. They also say it works 'anywhere on the planet' which again suggests no need for a phone line.
I'd prefer shooting the tart, her kids, then dads and getting a tax refund thanks.
Gets my vote
Man of Honour
Yes. I don't believe that students are exempt, particularly not if they want multiple phonelines.
Not necessarily, it's principally for upgrading the copper connections to enable everyone to have access to a reasonable level of broadband access.
Possibly but what has that got to do with the instant situation?
thats a good point actually...
I'd prefer shooting the tart, her kids, then dads and getting a tax refund thanks
lol with that attitude you would fit in well in our office...
/OT
I'm surprised the consensus here seems to be that the student loan system is fine, but borrowing in terms of overdrafts is bad. After all the loans ultimately are underwritten by taxpayers, even after they're sold off to a third party...
In Croatia the least well off graduate might be unemployed for a weekend as opposed to overnight. Whereas here we're scrabbling in our thousands to get a company's attention...
Associate
you have to be naive to think that the internet tax is going to help the country get better internet connections.
I bet that 90% of the broadband tax will go abroad or on MPs expenses while the other 10% actually gets funded to the cause.
typical labour, disgrace.
I bet that 90% of the broadband tax will go abroad or on MPs expenses while the other 10% actually gets funded to the cause.
typical labour, disgrace.
Soldato
The problem I have with this is that Openreacch (the part of the now private BT group that owns the copper lines, not Bt wholesale or Bt Retail) have a monopoly on the cable.
You can choose someone like Talk Talk or Sky and ditch BT Retail and Wholesale but you can't choose to get rid of Openreach unless you get Virgin.
This is the crux of the problem, we have 1 company owning all the phone lines, this is because it was nationalised and then privatised.
working for an ISP I can honestly say Openreach are the problem, the engineers arn't all bad but their systems and procedures are just dire. they can't do anything other than the most basic stuff without the fault being escalated about 4 levels to someone that knows how it works. but there is no other option.
While they have this monopoly they also have a Service Obligation for telephone which Virgin do not so good in some ways, bad in others.
I would like virgin to be in on this aswell, if they provide fibre then they get some money but there is no chance of them meeting any kind of service obligation so it would then be unfair on openreach.
With regards to Labour and wasting money. Yup they will probably spend it on other things but the tories have said they will axe it when they win but yet BT have already committed to 40% fibre to the cab/home by 2012.
Copper is now actually more expensive than fibre so in some ways it isn't that much of a bad move economically for the company, however when you have no competition who cares, do what u like.
You can choose someone like Talk Talk or Sky and ditch BT Retail and Wholesale but you can't choose to get rid of Openreach unless you get Virgin.
This is the crux of the problem, we have 1 company owning all the phone lines, this is because it was nationalised and then privatised.
working for an ISP I can honestly say Openreach are the problem, the engineers arn't all bad but their systems and procedures are just dire. they can't do anything other than the most basic stuff without the fault being escalated about 4 levels to someone that knows how it works. but there is no other option.
While they have this monopoly they also have a Service Obligation for telephone which Virgin do not so good in some ways, bad in others.
I would like virgin to be in on this aswell, if they provide fibre then they get some money but there is no chance of them meeting any kind of service obligation so it would then be unfair on openreach.
With regards to Labour and wasting money. Yup they will probably spend it on other things but the tories have said they will axe it when they win but yet BT have already committed to 40% fibre to the cab/home by 2012.
Copper is now actually more expensive than fibre so in some ways it isn't that much of a bad move economically for the company, however when you have no competition who cares, do what u like.
Soldato
I thought it was £6 a month, and came here to rage.
Realised it was £6 a year, I have to say I reckon I'll manage to find another 50p per month without issue.
UK needs faster broadband speeds all over, its simply ridiculous that some people can still only get 512k.
Realised it was £6 a year, I have to say I reckon I'll manage to find another 50p per month without issue.
UK needs faster broadband speeds all over, its simply ridiculous that some people can still only get 512k.
Soldato
o/t
i'll supply the gun if you can get supply the bullets.
I'd prefer shooting the tart, her kids, then dads and getting a tax refund thanks
i'll supply the gun if you can get supply the bullets
.Contrary to what seems to be the popular belief of city dwellers, most people who do live "in the sticks" are not former city types who decided to move somewhere quiet. We are people that have lived "in the sticks" since the day we were born. Most villages have been around and populated for just as long if not longer than most cities. Also many of us are out here because, as hard as it may be for someone like you to comprehend, we actually work nearby. This is not to mention the fact that many rather large towns are "in the sticks" and suffer from the same issues as small villages.
All the above of course ignores that fact that "the sticks" which you refer to are for the most part just a few miles outside of big populations areas and not, as you make it seem, 50 miles from anywhere in a world of retired office workers and bank managers. I for example live "in the sticks" in a village of some 2000 people with over 5000 people working within a mile radius and the broadband out here is at most 5Mb if you're very lucky. That 5Mb of course is truly fantastic for the countryside, my sister and brother in law who live 5 miles down the road can only get 512kb.
It's not just raw speed that needs improving in rural areas either, it's the quality and stability of connections that desperately need to be improved. Another example, my 5mb connection(which has for the past week dropped to 3.5mb) can just about (on a good day, if I get on at off peak times) handle streaming HD video from youtube, most of the time it'll stutter and struggle. And I pay extra for an un-throttled connection, despite this the quality can drop quite significantly during bad weather/peak times. My mother on the other hand, who also lives in a village (albeit only 4 miles from a big city rather than my 10 miles) is in a cabled area and gets the full benefit of virgins service. If she were to get her service via BT she again would only be able to get around 5-6mb.
The fact is, vast areas of this country, both urban and rural are lagging quite significantly behind many countries across the world. Now we all know the reasons behind this (our system is much older being one), but the fact remains that we need to vastly improve our broadband infrastructure, not just to urban areas but also to rural ones. Do I like the idea of this broadband tax? Not really no, it's an issue that should be paid for by commercial organisations and the state in my opinion, but it's such a large and expensive task that unless extra cash is put in it'll probably take decades. At least with the extra cash from this "broadband tax", as long as it is used for that purpose advertised, we can catch up with other countries or at least close the gap in a more reasonable time period.
Caporegime
Government are going to charge us to pay other private companies for the pleasure of them making MORE money.
This is a great scheme.
This is a great scheme.