The new minister for Digital Britain has today revealed that broadband users living in the countryside could in the future pay more for their connections. While this would appear to be at odds with the UK governments plan to make broadband available to each and every household in the country, if we take a step back and look at the situation sensibly there are potential reasons why it could be more expensive for those living in the countryside.
There is no doubt that more accessible networks and customer bases are located in and around the larger cities and towns of the UK. It is also inevitable that the vast array of broadband providers in the UK will target these particular “hotspots” because ultimately they should get more return for their investment. However, if the UK government is adamant that all homes in the UK will have access to Internet broadband over the next few years, is it right to charge those in the countryside more for the service?
This has the potential to open a can of worms which could bring in an array of services provided to those in the countryside at the same price as those living in cities and the towns. Where do you stop? Do you charge more for telephone services? Do you charge more for electricity and water? Is there a difference between utilities and broadband?