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On 30/07/2010 15:22, John Williams wrote:
Nothing to do with rich or poor. More to the point is the question, why should people such as me on a Virginmedia cable network pay anything toward upgrading a BT network which we would have no benefit from whatsoever? Neither my phone, TV or Internet service puts any load on the BT network so why should I pay for it? It's a similar argument to the TV Tax - oops TV License Fee - in that it all goes to the BBC regardless of whether I watch or listen to their output at all. In the case of the BBC I do actually use their services sometimes so that's not so bad (although I still object to paying for it whether I use it or not and facing prosecution if I don't). BT I don't use at all.On Fri, 2010-07-30 at 15:00 +0100, James Fidell wrote: Agreed with so many points.As to whether people in such situations should pay more to get high speed internet access, I'm not really sure. If it's regarded as sufficiently important that the govt mandates that everyone who wants it should be able to get it, I think perhaps not. I'd argue that where provision of a service is deemed to be to everyone's benefit or is considered essential then the cost should be the same for everyone. Sometimes that means some people subsidise the cost of some services for other people, but it's far from a one-way street. That's the way civilised societies ought to work as far as I'm concerned. I realise that others may not share this view, but by definition they're clearly inadequately civilised :)I'm with you on this, but didn't labour try and suggest that every one in the country pay just 50p per month on there fixed line rental to help roll out better internet around the country. There was a right stink from people who felt that rich folks living in the countryside jaunting around in there 4x4's could jolly well pay for it themselves. Regardless that those same folks pay for services like sewage, street lighting and several other things they get little benefit of.
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