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Labour pledges free broadband for all homes and firms in UK

theguardian.com

11–20 of 72 posts

Re: Labour pledges free broadband for all homes and firms in UK

#11
post #8
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At a guess, I would hazard the thousands of people who would become unemployed? And not all be able to immediately go and work for the 'British Broadband Corporation'? That's one negative side effect.

So we should have worse, more expensive internet instead, to keep people in positions that aren't necessary? That seems like a terrible idea. Presumably a Labour Manifesto with this policy in it, would also include a bunch of provisions for unemployed people.

Presumably taxing people more to support them? I don't have a dog in this fight. But probably wise not to infer there aren't negative consequences if all bar one broadband companies get shuttered in a country.

Re: Labour pledges free broadband for all homes and firms in UK

#13
post #4
post #3

Since there are multiple competing fibre companies, won't nationalising one company and offering "the fastest fibre free to all" bankrupt all of the other companies?

And it would lead to everybody having the fastest fibre for free. What is wrong with bankrupting companies that aren't needed anymore?

> the fastest fibre

Hard to argue with that conclusion when there's only one option.

Re: Labour pledges free broadband for all homes and firms in UK

#14
post #2

porn and VPN (to allow unfiltered internet) is charged extra though!

That's a Tory policy. Let's hope a Labour Government would also get rid of that.

> Let's hope a Labour Government would also get rid of that

No forethought to what a future Tory government would do after the nation’s infrastructure are put under direct governmental control?

Re: Labour pledges free broadband for all homes and firms in UK

#15
post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So we should have worse, more expensive internet instead, to keep people in positions that aren't necessary? That seems like a terrible idea. Presumably a Labour Manifesto with this policy in it, would also include a bunch of provisions for unemployed people.

Presumably taxing people more to support them? I don't have a dog in this fight. But probably wise not to infer there aren't negative consequences if all bar one broadband companies get shuttered in a country.

I would gladly vote for paying all employees of all ISPs their current salary from taxes for a while, if it meant free, nationalized fast fiber in every home.

Re: Labour pledges free broadband for all homes and firms in UK

#16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's a Tory policy. Let's hope a Labour Government would also get rid of that.

> Let's hope a Labour Government would also get rid of that No forethought to what a future Tory government would do after the nation’s infrastructure are put under direct governmental control?

So the reason not to vote for Labour is that the Tories are too evil and can't be trusted?

Re: Labour pledges free broadband for all homes and firms in UK

#17
Well BT is available in all areas in the UK except for Kingston-Upon-Hull which has it's own broadband provider called KCOM which is enjoys a complete monopoly in the area with the city having fibre-optic in all areas.

I wonder if this policy that given that it creates free-access to the internet but in the end it also creates a huge monopoly similar to KCOM that kills competition with the added bonus of only the biggest earners footing the bill + taxes dramatically rise due to this. As for the competition, Labour is fine for bankrupting them and what happens if the FAANG companies cannot pay any more or start to relocate due to other economic events such as Brexit, financial crash, etc? How will they continue to fund this initiative?

The astronomical cost of this on the tax-payer and with the current UK economical uncertainty due to Brexit makes this sound hopelessly utopian for a Labour Government to implement I'm afraid.

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