Let's Get Political!

[pauld]

The private sector have had 10 years of promising to bring high speed  broadband to 90+% of the UK and have failed miserably. Ultra capitalist S Korea has precisely this kind of arrangement, and 98% fibre broadband penetration as a result, because they recognise the importance of investing in infrastructure to compete. If we're going to compete as "Global Britain" outside of the EU, we will need this kind of investment in our infrastructure.

[horlock07]

The private sector have had 10 years of promising to bring high speed  broadband to 90+% of the UK and have failed miserably. Ultra capitalist S Korea has precisely this kind of arrangement, and 98% fibre broadband penetration as a result, because they recognise the importance of investing in infrastructure to compete. If we're going to compete as "Global Britain" outside of the EU, we will need this kind of investment in our infrastructure.

Somewhat ironically a lot of the funding for rural broadband improvements comes from..... you've guessed it..... the EU!

[pauld]

Somewhat ironically a lot of the funding for rural broadband improvements comes from..... you've guessed it..... the EU!

Hush now, you and your facts. Nice to see Toby Young among many other Brexiteers demonstrating their ignorance of how the EU works by declaring that this would fall foul of state aid. Clueless

[Reg Smeeton]

 When I first got the internet it was free. 

Long time ago now, but NTL's contractors dug up the streets, they were a crack workforce, spent their breaks smoking weed and so ripped out a lot of infrastructure which had been replaced, due to being Victorian, a few years earlier.... still they put it all back again. Didn't wait too long being without, water electric etc.

So thinks I, seems a good deal.  It wasn't free for long.

[horlock07]

Still winning..... https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-50419130

Its Steve Barclay's turn to illustrate what numbnuts the hard brexiteers tend to be...

https://twitter.com/IanDunt/status/1195088298257133572

[horlock07]

If people had been saying this 5 years ago I suspect we would not be where we are now...



Although Labour could possibly have a word with Len McCluskey who is continuing to do just this!

[Batch]

The reason I think that nationalised free broadband is a massive waste of time, in order of priority:

1. Massive waste of money. Private sector is doing just fine.The reason fiber isn't at 90% is because its prohibitively expensive. You will never get 100% anyway, and will have to use fill in technologies to compensate

2. Uncompetitive practice, unfair on other business. The 'bundle' companies will just raise prices of other products to compensate. Others will go under.

3. Money better spent elsewhere (see 1). You can do free broadband without the need to nationalise . Let a private company do it.

4. The ability for the government to more easily control/block content in the future.

5. Privacy concerns (though frankly GCHQ have the ability to do everything on existing providers).

[pauld]

The reason I think that nationalised free broadband is a massive waste of time, in order of priority:

1. Massive waste of money. Private sector is doing just fine.

It really isn't. They've done a shit job, despite substantial co-investment from successive governments. We live on the outskirts of Swindon, so hardly the back of beyond, and the best we can get is 30Mb on a good day via 4G. Wired broadband is quoted at 10-18Mb and from bitter previous experience they wouldn't get near that.

[pauld]

In other news, the Bus of Lies is back. "The lies on the bus go round and round, round and round....."

[Flashheart]

In other news, the Bus of Lies is back. "The lies on the bus go round and round, round and round....."

You'd think they'd want to distance themselves from messages on the side of buses.

[RobertT]

You'd think they'd want to distance themselves from messages on the side of buses.

Why?  The last one worked for them.

On Broadband - I can see a good case for creating a standalone National company owned by the Govt. to crack on get it done, then sell it off or run it at arms length.  Infrastructure is an area where you can rightly point to a Govt. being the best provider - it doesn't get bogged down by whether all of it is profitable or not, so everyone gets the benefit.  I also like the foreign approach which is to essentially run them as a business, rather then the UK approach which is to run them as job centres.

Someone mentioned the Italian Train company getting involved in UK rail, god help you.

[Batch]

It really isn't. They've done a shit job, despite substantial co-investment from successive governments. We live on the outskirts of Swindon, so hardly the back of beyond, and the best we can get is 30Mb on a good day via 4G. Wired broadband is quoted at 10-18Mb and from bitter previous experience they wouldn't get near that.

Yes it is. In the bounds of profitability its doing fine.

What Labour are proposing is going to cost money with a very long ROI for a private company.

And the point is, if you want to provide a better service at a loss,  you don't need to take on the cost of nationalisation to do it.

[pauld]

Yes it is. In the bounds of profitability its doing fine.

And that's the problem, the private sector is always going to be constrained by considerations of profit, not the wider national interest. Which is where government investment in essential national infrastructure comes in. Same reason we don't have private motorways

[Mister Lorenzo]

Just lies to get votes.

4 day working week
free internet
free double glazing and new heating system
removal of the 2 child limit to benefits
free prescriptions


I wonder what will be next?

[jayohaitchenn]

Just lies to get votes.

I presume you aren't voting for Boris then