UK government to introduce six pound broadband tax
Despite resistance from the UK broadband sector, the UK government is set to introduce a new six pound broadband fee which will come into play next year, levied against every home phone line in the UK. It will be irrelevant as to whether the phone line is connected to the Internet or not with the expected £175 million year to be used to part fund the next generation of broadband networks in the UK.
Despite the fact that British Telecom is taking on the bulk of the multibillion pound investment associated with the new UK national broadband network, for some reason the UK government still feels able and justified in taking £175 million a year from telephone customers. Even though there are promises that these funds will find their way into the broadband sector, and ultimately assist with growth in the future, this comes at a time when the UK government is significantly short of cash and looking to bring in as much income as possible. Can we really be sure that the funds raised will end up back in the UK broadband sector?
Like petrol and car users, broadband users are now become something of an easy target for the UK government and there are other plans afoot regarding download taxes and other "indirect taxes".
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