Labours Broadband proposal...

[Tooter]

I quite like the idea of this proposal. In this modern age everyone should have access to the internet.

I'd very much like to know more details though, surely the companies making hundreds of millions of pounds of profit wouldn't be too happy with this proposal. Or would they if it is paid for by the state? I presume it wouldn't impact the providers financially and would protect jobs in the industry. I'd like to know more detail.

I've heard quite a few people arguing against this...I can't quite work out why...similarly why you would argue against free kids meals and a national health service.

Saying that they can't even make sure everyone is connected like they promised let alone to a broadband service

Thoughts?

 

[AverageJoe]

Yep.

I'd be a massive fan of the government controlling and monitoring my Internet and calls....

 

[ignatious]

Im not sure the govt would become the ISP, they’d just provide the hardware. Officially like, rather than just through massive subsidies as they do now.

 

[Ax^]

free porn for the masses

 

[marty21]

I read somewhere that the government already pays Openreach £5bn a year towards the infrastructure anyway - we should have some fucking shares for that anyway ffs

 

[cupid_stunt]

The idea of a proper national fibre to home broadband infrastructure network sounds great.

I am struggling with the idea of it being free for every household, based on their annual estimated running costs of £230m (paid for by a tax on big tech firms), considering it involves taking over Openreach who's wage bill alone is in the region of £850m pa, other parts of BT they intend to take over and their wages, plus all other associated running costs for the network, offices, vehicles, etc., etc.

One independent industry expert estimated Openreach's annual running costs are around £2bn, and that's before you add in the other bits of BT they intend to take over, which he suggested was more than another £230m pa.

 

[Chilli.s]

Free broadband in 10 years? Sounds like a promise that won't be worth a fig. Free prescriptions now? well that might be worth something.

 

[cupid_stunt]

I read somewhere that the government already pays Openreach £5bn a year towards the infrastructure anyway - we should have some fucking shares for that anyway ffs

No, it's not £5bn a year, it's a one-off £5bn to roll out broadband to remote locations.

 

[Chilli.s]

It is a fairly visionary idea though. But I am just about to make all my broadband part of my deductible office expenses anyway.

 

[JimW]

Yep.

I'd be a massive fan of the government controlling and monitoring my Internet and calls....

I truly find this position bizarre. Some possibility of democratic control over how a state acts, however unlikely, far less over a private enterprise and a bad/average state will nick your data anyway.

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

Tory dick'ead on the radio earlier, "What next will Labour ask for, free water?" - well, yes, that would be a good thing too...

 

[Bahnhof Strasse]

I truly find this position bizarre. Some possibility of democratic control over how a state acts, however unlikely, far less over a private enterprise and a bad/average state will nick your data anyway.

Nah, I watch cop shows, when the rozzers ask ISPs for internet history they all refuse citing privacy and loyalty to their customers and shit...

 

[weltweit]

Which bit will be free, and free to whom?

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I'd have no issues with free broadband to those who can't afford it, but I think Id be worried about the government nationalisingit and not investing in it properly. Come 2050 and we're using networks from 2020.

 

[cupid_stunt]

Labour’s pledge to give broadband away for free – the average current cost per household is £30 a month – backed by government funding would be bad news for rivals such as Virgin Media, TalkTalk and CityFibre, who are also investing in full fibre.

The tech tax is a means of paying for the broadband policy. Labour has estimated that the costs of maintaining a UK-wide full-fibre network will cost about £230m a year – analysts say the annual maintenance costs are in the range of £1bn to £2bn. According to BT’s annual report, the division’s operating costs are more than £2bn a year. It has more than 30,000 staff and an annual wage bill of more than £800m.

How feasible is Labour's free broadband plan and part-nationalisation of BT?

The figures just don't seem to add up.

 

[belboid]

I'd have no issues with free broadband to those who can't afford it, but I think Id be worried about the government nationalisingit and not investing in it properly. Come 2050 and we're using networks from 2020.

aye, cos privatised rail services have really kept investment up, havent they?

 

[JimW]

Tory dick'ead on the radio earlier, "What next will Labour ask for, free water?" - well, yes, that would be a good thing too...

I get free water in our village in rural China! Think it's because we're right by all the reservoirs, used to pay in the city.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

aye, cos privatised rail services have really kept investment up, havent they?

Fair point.

 

[SpookyFrank]

Yep.

I'd be a massive fan of the government controlling and monitoring my Internet and calls....

Much better to outsource the snooping to the Chinese government by letting Huawei build all the infrastructure.

 

[Chilli.s]

Let's face it you can promise anything if you're not going to get in.

 

[Proper Tidy]

Tory dick'ead on the radio earlier, "What next will Labour ask for, free water?" - well, yes, that would be a good thing too...

Bloke (tory, mogg fan) who sits opposite me in work has been furious about this all day, have enjoyed this by repeatedly pitching the benefits of free public transport and a 100% inheritance tax rate, he stood up and left the office for a breather at one point. Silly cunt.

 

[YouSir]

Yep.

I'd be a massive fan of the government controlling and monitoring my Internet and calls....

Why do you imagine for even a second that internet services being privatised stops them from doing just that? You think Virgin executives are bravely going to fight for your right to privacy?

 

[not-bono-ever]

The nature of profit is so ingrained in the national psyche, it’s increasingly difficult to have a rational conversation with many people about ideas like this without the “ yeah but what about the profit “ coming up as a standard shocked response

 

[belboid]

The nature of profit is so ingrained in the national psyche, it’s increasingly difficult to have a rational conversation with many people about ideas like this without the “ yeah but what about the profit “ coming up as a standard shocked response

What about the profit? It will be reinvested into services to ensure that networks remain up to date. Pretty easy one to answer.

 

[YouSir]

The nature of profit is so ingrained in the national psyche, it’s increasingly difficult to have a rational conversation with many people about ideas like this without the “ yeah but what about the profit “ coming up as a standard shocked response

It's not even about 'the profit', that's the bit that gets me, it's about the profit that goes to a very small handful of wealthy individuals. Somehow the idea that your neighbour might have a tenner more a month to spend is abhorrent while Richard Branson seeing a fractional increase in his net value is perfectly acceptable.

 

[marty21]

No, it's not £5bn a year, it's a one-off £5bn to roll out broadband to remote locations.

Cheers

 

[The39thStep]

Yep.

I'd be a massive fan of the government controlling and monitoring my Internet and calls....

Yup, if they built council houses they be spying on us through the walls

 

[Dogsauce]

How feasible is Labour's free broadband plan and part-nationalisation of BT?

The figures just don't seem to add up.

How much of BT’s 800m staff bill is spent on marketing/sales pricks and all the admin associated with billing? Surely that’s a large part of the expense, along with new installations/connections etc. that won’t be needed under a state-run system?

 

[Badgers]

How much of BT’s 800m staff bill is spent on marketing/sales pricks and all the admin associated with billing? Surely that’s a large part of the expense, along with new installations/connections etc. that won’t be needed under a state-run system?

Looking at most private sector companies business model around 30-60% depending on the product.

 

[Monkeygrinder's Organ]

I like it as an idea. I think they're dodging the point a bit with all the stuff about funding and how it will pay for itself though. If they said they were going to take, say, an extra twenty quid a month in tax off people like me who can afford it and who are forking out thirty quid a month anyway, then use that to provide broadband to me and to people less able to afford it, with the extra savings being what would have gone on profit, sales etc, then it would be a much more sensible policy. They're still running scared of the idea that anyone who isn't the 1% might end up paying more tax though.