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Labours Broadband proposal...

I do find it interesting that a lot of people are cynical in respect of any major change to the current/miserable capitalism status quo.

Any change like nationalisation, change to work habits or basic income is met with reasons why it won't work rather than how it can be made to work.
 
Dogsauce said:
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?
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This thread is interesting - there's a £6.2 billion saving from the costs of competition between different providers.

 
Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
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.
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top 5% and raising corporation tax back to about the oecd average will cover the initial costs and the rest is paid for through government bonds, which are covered through the savings made by having a system not out for simple profit.

e2a: see, eg, this estimate for the costs of nationalising the water and energy grids and Royal Mail - they'd pay for themselves within seven years.
Nationalising water, energy and Royal Mail would pay for itself within seven years, according to new research
 
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Monkeygrinder's Organ said:
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.
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Yeah I agree. In order to make the changes they want to make, a larger percentage of GDP is going to have to be taken in tax - the UK is medium-low by European standards in that regard, and pushing it up just to medium would make a huge difference, but you can't do that on the sly without anyone noticing.
 
Interesting wording in the first question positing that nationalised entities are run...by the Government.
 
Tooter said:
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. :hmm:

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

Thoughts?
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Labour have just lost the vote of everyone who works for BT in the U.K.

I know someone who works for them and their WhatsApp group lit up when this news broke - nobody was happy to say the least.
 
Marty1 said:
Labour have just lost the vote of everyone who works for BT in the U.K.

I know someone who works for them and their WhatsApp group lit up when this news broke - nobody was happy to say the least.
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As far as engineers and actual tech workers go it could just mean more work given the scale of the potential roll out. I'd be surprised if people who actually know the industry were blind to the potential there.
 
Dogsauce said:
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?
Click to expand...

Openreach only operate the network, so none of their £850m pa wage costs goes to any of those things, apart from installing new connections, which will still be required.

ETA - Just about every household will need a new connection for fibre into the house, replacing the standard telephone wire.
 
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Badgers said:
IMAGINE IF PEOPLE COULD JUST WALK INTO STATE / TAXPAYER FUNDED BUILDING AND READ OR BORROW BOOKS
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You think that's crazy, just hear this. They're thinking of providing free treatment for all sick people, even those with really expensive treatments. And they'll stay in hospitals and be given a free bed and free food while they get better. All free. You couldn't make it up.
 
littlebabyjesus said:
You think that's crazy, just hear this. They're thinking of providing free treatment for all sick people, even those with really expensive treatments. And they'll stay in hospitals and be given a free bed and free food while they get better. All free. You couldn't make it up.
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Last time I was in hospital there was free fibre broadband too. It's clearly a Putin-plot :hmm:
 
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