While many broadband users in the UK will be dismayed to find out that they could be experiencing broadband price increases of up to 2 pounds per month there is no doubt that UK broadband customers have been well treated over the years. However, the days of cheap broadband in the UK may well disappear in the short to medium term with British Telecom forecasting that the government’s recent announcement regarding online piracy could cost the industry up to £1 million a day in excess costs. Guess who will pay?
As you might have guessed, it will be down to UK broadband customers to pay the excess which the UK government is forcing upon the industry after pressure from various quarters. This also comes on top of the expected broadband tax which will be introduced in 2010 and could raise in the region of £175 million a year, which the authorities say will be “reinvested back into the broadband sector”.
There is a feeling that UK broadband users are becoming an “easy touch” with the UK government looking to introduce various taxes and increase costs in the short, medium and longer term. While there is obviously a need to protect copyrighted material from piracy and illegal downloads, is it fair to penalise the majority of broadband users who do not download illegal material, to pay for those who do?