Government fee charged to fund broadband networks to next generation
The British Government announced today that it will impose a “small fee” to the fixed telephone lines to raise money to help finance the implementation throughout the broadband networks of new generation.
In a speech to the House of Commons, the Culture Minister, Ben Bradshaw, introduced to Members the findings of the report called Digital Britain, prepared to order the government to lay the foundations of their telecommunications strategy.
Among the recommendations of the study, between different ministries coordinated by the Secretary of State for Communication, Lord Carter of Barnes, is taking action against piracy on the Internet and distributed among several broadcasters that grant is now in full by the BBC to make its public service.
At a press conference prior to submitting the report, whose development was announced in October 2008, Prime Minister Gordon Brown said that his country “will lead the world” to become the “digital capital” of the planet.
Brown recalled that the internet has become an essential tool for business and a fast connection is as important as electricity or gas.
Hence the importance of the maximum of citizens throughout the country have access to so-called next generation networks for the Internet, which allows a download speed much higher than today’s.
With the raising of the new rate, estimated to be about 50 pence per month (about 59 euro cents), the Government will create a “New Generation Fund” to provide grants to operators to enable them to receive the latest technology broadband to remote areas of the country, which is not as commercially viable.
As the government announced last January, one of the goals is that all British households have broadband by 2012 and a download speed of at least two megabits per second.
Another recommendation of the report, subject to an internal consultation among interested parties, is distributed among several stations, from 2013, the fee currently charged to citizens for funding exclusively to the BBC in its public tasks.
That money, which is charged to each person who owns a television, would subsidize the production chain as part of ITV and Channel 4 over public service programs such as news or children who are perceived as less profitable.
The minister also stressed the government’s willingness to endorse joint (joint venture) between the commercial division of the BBC (BBC Worldwide) and other stations in the country, some of which have removed some programming that does not consider benefits.
Bradshaw, a former journalist with the public channel, he insisted that “it is more important than ever ‘BBC have a” strong, self and independent, “but he said his own interest is evolving to become a partner for public service “to ensure” plurality of provision “informative.
Moreover, the holder of Culture and Media announced the Government’s intention to convert all national radio stations from analog to digital by 2015, and the introduction of legislation against the illegal downloading of Internet content.
Thus, under the government plan, the telecommunications regulator Ofcom will have greater powers to act against people who often illegally downloaded music or movies from the internet, with the aim of reducing the practice by 70 or 80 percent.
The digital industry and telecommunications in the UK is valued at about £ 52,000 million (61,600 million euros) a year, and Lord Carter estimated that some 22 million Britons are dependent on this sector for their work.
