Alistair Thomas

Worcs, UK

Citizen, Rural ADSL user

A 1-2 MBit connection is life changing. Web access, email, remote working, S/W updates, music downloads etc, even gaming: all become usable or even smooth. VOIP, Video streaming and other intensive media apps that need 4 MBit plus are nice to have, but there are other traditional services in place which will do if these new services are not available or too expensive.

Why do I have to pay the same for my 1MBit rural Upto8MBIt service as urban folk pay for their 4MBit+ version of the same service? Broadband should charged for what you get, not what the ISP "trys" to provide.

So, if Ofcom wants to narrow the digital divide, they should tax those services above 2 MBit expressly to fund those areas that lack any reasonable service. They should get HMRC to provide tax benefits for companies to deploy broadband, support remote working etc, and not just allow tax free gifts, but enhance gifts to local communities/schools from tax revenues. In short, incentivise those activities that move us towards their/our goal.

And as for Gordon Brown giving computers away to the needy (different story I know), it would be better to enhance local shared facilities in libraries and community centres unless you want to find car boot sales with computers sold to gain funds for the basics like fags, beer or even food, fuel or clothes. I wish Labour would stop fiddling and fix the economy or at least stop making it worse. Nice "fluffy" ideas just show how disconnected they really are.