Not sure live sports is a reason anymore. Not since Amazon have been winning many live sports contracts and streaming them.
TV Licence Super Thread
- Thread starter Ken
- Start date
Stuffing the bill into proper tax feels very wrong and unfair. I am completely against that.
That is becoming smaller and smaller.
UK Broadband Access Statistics 2024 - Facts and Stats Report - Uswitch
Click here to find the latest UK broadband access statistics for 2024, covering fibre broadband access, usage reports, urban vs rural broadband, and more.
www.uswitch.com
In Sept 2023 97% of UK homes have access to superfast broadband and 99% have access to at least 10Mbps (which is enough to stream TV).
Soon, the amount of homes without access to fast internet will be vanishingly small. Once that happens, what is really the point in broadcast/scheduled TV?
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With analogue phones lines being switched off and VoIP being the only option for phones going forward. Then there really is no reason for calling out lack of Broadband as a reason to have Broadcast TV. That 1% will have to either upgrade to Broadband or go without TV/Phones.That is becoming smaller and smaller.
UK Broadband Access Statistics 2024 - Facts and Stats Report - Uswitch
Click here to find the latest UK broadband access statistics for 2024, covering fibre broadband access, usage reports, urban vs rural broadband, and more.
In Sept 2023 97% of UK homes have access to superfast broadband and 99% have access to at least 10Mbps (which is enough to stream TV).
Soon, the amount of homes without access to fast internet will be vanishingly small. Once that happens, what is really the point in broadcast/scheduled TV?
Soldato
What's your solution for those that can't get adequate internet access (but can get terrestrial TV through an aerial)?
If you're wanting to remove the traditional broadcast infrastructure and move terrestrial TV to IPTV, then how will they receive it?
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But as pointed out, that number is becoming tiny. It was 1% back in September 2023.
Very soon, that number will be insignificant enough to not worry about. You can't just not move forward with things like this because some shack in the Outer Hebrides cant get fast internet.
As mentioned earlier, they are already doing it with landlines. I don't see why TV can't follow swiftly afterwards/within the next 5-10 years (as a ballpark)
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Soldato
Oh grief, they suddenly woke up and are pestering me.
I do hate them. I know of no other body that assumes you are guilty until proven otherwise. They are horrific. I know what started this, I bought a new TV recently. All new TV's are reported to them. So their natural assumption is that if someone has a TV they are probably watching the BBC (which I am not, I don't watch any live channels). If nothing else it shows remarkable arrogance - that anyone would even want to watch that rubbish.
Interesting that they say that I should reply to them using my ten digit reference number, which they failed to include in the email.
I do hate them. I know of no other body that assumes you are guilty until proven otherwise. They are horrific. I know what started this, I bought a new TV recently. All new TV's are reported to them. So their natural assumption is that if someone has a TV they are probably watching the BBC (which I am not, I don't watch any live channels). If nothing else it shows remarkable arrogance - that anyone would even want to watch that rubbish.
Interesting that they say that I should reply to them using my ten digit reference number, which they failed to include in the email.
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Soldato
Statistics on how many homes have the technology to stream TV, rather than how many have access to broadband, would be more relevant. Hint: it affects the poor and elderly most.
10Mbps isn't particularly enough to stream TV anyway, in a real world situation. Not unless the household isn't using any bandwidth for anything else at all. In which case that household would be adding a broadband bill to their costs.
1% of the population is still half a million people, it's not really acceptable to just F U them. Broadcast TV is just too entrenched and relied upon to get rid of quickly. A basic streaming box and a basic broadband package, ideally low cost or free to eligible groups, is probably the way to move forward with switch-off.
10Mbps isn't particularly enough to stream TV anyway, in a real world situation. Not unless the household isn't using any bandwidth for anything else at all. In which case that household would be adding a broadband bill to their costs.
1% of the population is still half a million people, it's not really acceptable to just F U them. Broadcast TV is just too entrenched and relied upon to get rid of quickly. A basic streaming box and a basic broadband package, ideally low cost or free to eligible groups, is probably the way to move forward with switch-off.
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Soldato
Not since about 2013
The BBC will really take the **** if people don't even have the option of not paying them. That's the worse solution.
Should be sold off and made to compete like every other broadcaster. The role it filled when it was created doesn't exist in the digital era.
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Soldato
Oh good. That means it's just their random annoyance email. Not that I can do anything about it, they didn't put my code on it. And I have deleted the email account now, so they will have to write me a letter.
Yup. With passion. I absolutely hate the way the UK licence works and it really ****** me off the way that the government just keep kicking the can down the road. The entire concept of the BBC and licence is totally outdated, and the governments refusal to do anything about it has just stopped the BBC progressing to a more modern approach. It's now a bloated mess, that suffers scandal after scandal. I mean what does the BBC even do for that money? Nothing I watch or listen to, for sure. I get so angry about it.
Billions, completed wasted.
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Oh good. That means it's just their random annoyance email. Not that I can do anything about it, they didn't put my code on it. And I have deleted the email account now, so they will have to write me a letter.
Yup. With passion. I absolutely hate the way the UK licence works and it really ****** me off the way that the government just keep kicking the can down the road. The entire concept of the BBC and licence is totally outdated, and the governments refusal to do anything about it has just stopped the BBC progressing to a more modern approach. It's now a bloated mess, that suffers scandal after scandal. I mean what does the BBC even do for that money? Nothing I watch or listen to, for sure. I get so angry about it.
Tens of thousands of people directly employed, ??,???? indirectly employed, audience of almost half a billion a week.
But you don't watch or listen to it so that's billions completely wasted.
It's all going to crumble eventually anyway at this rate. More and more people cancel as the price goes up. At some point it won't be sustainable
The same solution as if they want to have a phoneline going forward. They either get adequate internet or they have no phone and no TV. By 2025 we should be well under 1% and falling. The government has put aside 5 billion to get that 0.8% ish connected by end of 2025. I don't think we can use the connection issue as an excuse anymore.
We are already at the stage where 81% are able to choose up to 1 gigabyte Broadband speeds which is projected to be 91% by end of 2025. Over 99% have acceptable broadband speeds. Phonelines are being switched off and moved to Broadband. I really don't think Broadband speeds is a valid reason anymore. Even remote rural area in Scotland and Wales now have access to good broadband.
I can't believe this.
I get dirty looks for saying the BBC should be funded by a tax, which I reckon has potential to result in a lower payment due to more people needing to pay.
But you would like everyone to need a fast internet connection where you pay an ISP considerably more than £175 a year and you have also said the BBC should move to subscription only which would be a separate payment on top.
That feels better to your mind and pocket?
But its pretty impossible for anyone to operate/live/take part in the economy in the UK now without the internet. The internet is pretty much a necessity in modern life anyway (love it or hate it).
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This wouldn't pan out though.
If you force people to pay for BBC through tax it will hit a lot.
Suddenly (if you are license free) you have a 2-300 pound bill you didn't have.
This is quite significant.
And big issue for me is once this happens BBC can just bloat.
It can out out garbage knowing it has a captive audience. There's nothing stopping excessive budget increases.
At least now more dross they out out.. More people bail.
General tax removes the incentive to be good.
In today's world it's not either or.
You need to bring everyone up to good Internet.
You do not need to push BBC to general tax.
Truth is.. If the BBC was amazing and valued by everyone.. It wouldn't be an issue. The fact people are switching off means BBC isn't as important now as it was.
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You're saying 200-300 when the current price is 175 and if mass taxed there's plenty of reason it would be immediately less not more.
Here and now you're joining an exchange about increasing the cost from 175 to a yearly internet bill plus a subscription fee for the actual content. I expect around 500 a year and most of it for the internet access.
Now that's quite a bill that wasn't there before.
You are getting dirty looks because people get upset when you want to force them to pay for a none essential service they don’t want and don’t need which is what you are suggesting. It doesn't matter if you lower the price we still wont use it and don't want to pay for what we see as an old fashioned service we don't need. To use your own words. Even if you get the BBC price down to £150 by forcing everyone on it. "that's quite a bill that wasn't there before."
200MB fast Broadband costs £15 a month and its not like you need 200MB for TV/phones, cheaper 10MB options will do. Unlike the BBC which is not essential service, broadband is classed as essential service for modern day life. Even 1Gbps can be got for £26 a month in many areas. Location isn't for the most part a problem either just this week I got a quote to have a building in the middle of the woods wired up. Granted it cost me a little more then £15 due to the location which was a grand total of £30 a month and it was fast enough to run TV and run phones.
Yes it feels better to my mind and pocket. The BBC is old fashioned and should be optional not forced. Its flat out wrong to force people to pay for the BBC service. Another way to look at is, pretty much everyone has a phone of some sort if you have a phone at least from after the analogue phone switch off you have to have access to Broadband. So why is Broadband a problem? I don't see you complaining about people not having access to phones because they don't have broadband.