Is Labour's new FREE broadband policy just a way for them to control the internet?

RealElement47

RyanEzio wrote: »

I've seen McDonald has got the cheque book out again to bribe voters.


Is this "FREE" internet promise, just a distraction for a socialist Labour party to control the internet?


I've been taught nothing is ever free in life.


Always check the small print!

When somebody asks where will the Goverment get the money from they don't understand the monetary system since 1971.

Since 1971 when currency is no longer backed by monetary precious metals anymore The government can create unlimited units of currency out of thin air at will. They do this to bail out the banks so why not do it to bail out the poeple for once?

Ballard

RealElement47 wrote: »

When somebody asks where will the Goverment get the money from they don't understand the monetary system since 1971.

Since 1971 when currency is no longer backed by monetary precious metals anymore The government can create unlimited units of currency out of thin air at will. They do this to bail out the banks so why not do it to bail out the poeple for once?

They bailed out the banks because had they been allowed to fail it would have been far more damaging to the country. Would you have preferred your bank to go under and to have become a creditor and have no money until such a time as HM Government repaid you? What if your employer lost their bank account? How would you have got paid? How would their suppliers have been paid and how would they have paid their employees?

I hear this argument time and time again. Banks weren’t bailed out because they’re pals with ministers. It was because if one had failed, several would have gone under and the consequences of that would have been felt for several generations. Not just for the city but for the whole country and beyond.

phillw

SpiderLegs wrote: »

Don’t forget they listen to your phone calls and go through all your rubbish as well Phil.

I mean literal rubbish, not the stuff you post on here.

Your confidence would be an inspiration if you weren't always so disastrously wrong about everything.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11976008/MI5-and-GCHQ-secretly-bulk-collecting-British-publics-phone-and-email-records-for-years-Theresa-May-reveals.html

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/23/mi5-feared-gchq-went-too-far

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252436762/Government-unlawfully-delegated-bulk-data-powers-to-GCHQ-court-hears

RyanEzio wrote: »

I've seen McDonald has got the cheque book out again to bribe voters.

Which party hasn't gotten out the cheque book to bribe voters? Or are you singling labour out because you just don't like labour?

Cakeguts

phillw wrote: »

Your confidence would be an inspiration if you weren't always so disastrously wrong about everything.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/terrorism-in-the-uk/11976008/MI5-and-GCHQ-secretly-bulk-collecting-British-publics-phone-and-email-records-for-years-Theresa-May-reveals.html

https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2013/jun/23/mi5-feared-gchq-went-too-far

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252436762/Government-unlawfully-delegated-bulk-data-powers-to-GCHQ-court-hears



Which party hasn't gotten out the cheque book to bribe voters? Or are you singling labour out because you just don't like labour?

No I am singling out Labour because they offer bigger bribes paid for by ordinary taxpayers. That is always the problem with Labour governments they always seem to consist of people who can't do basic maths. Budgetting is beyond them and much too difficult. I think they must try to get the same amount of money to pay for several things which is why they always end up nearly bankrupting the country.

John_Smith_2019

A govt owned broadband network is an interesting concept, when you consider the ownership of the land under which the cable trunking is laid.

In theory, a govt could grant itself powers to lay cables under any land. In the rural areas much of this land (eg highways etc) will be public sector owned anyway. Once the initial large empty trunking is laid, the govt could then charge any private companies who wished to feed their fibre optic cables through the govt owned trunking.

This would be investment in the true sense of the word, in that it would probably see a return on capital employed. And as the govt would have created a significant barrier to entry for competitors.

But this is not what Labour is proposing and it is not what is going to happen, whichever party wins.

Because when any govt claims they are ''borrowing to invest'' that is usually not true.
What they are usually doing is creating digital currency to lend to themselves to spend and gain votes.

In this case, the votes being sought are those in the rural shires, where Labour has traditionally lost to the Tories. Politically it is interesting, because it involves challenging traditional Tory voters on the concept that the free market has failed to provide them with fast broadband.

It's similar to the concept of the Royal Mail.
Would any private company deliver a letter to a farm in the Scottish Highlands, for the same cost as a letter to a major city location? From a business pricing point of view, it makes no sense to do so.

sevenhills

The-Joker wrote: »

It’s a great thing, along with everything else Labour are offering.

I transfered my broadband to Onestream a few months ago, after a few days I was without broadband. Couldnt get in touch with Onestream after around a week, I decided the only thing to do was to transfer again.
I ended getting £270 in compensation for being without broadband for a month.
If the companies cannot provide a good service when we are paying for it, how will they perform when its free? £270 x 26 million households, that is a lot of compensation.

BobQ

RyanEzio wrote: »

I've seen McDonald has got the cheque book out again to bribe voters.


Is this "FREE" internet promise, just a distraction for a socialist Labour party to control the internet?


I've been taught nothing is ever free in life.


Always check the small print!

Who said it was free, its just free to the user paid for by taxation.

I find it rather ridiculous to suggest that Labour want to own the internet to control it. But even if true, would you rather Sky and Virgin owned it? Can they be trusted not to control its use? Most of the internet traffic goes through US satellites and US servers. Does the US control it?

BobQ

SpiderLegs wrote: »

Don’t forget they listen to your phone calls and go through all your rubbish as well Phil.

I mean literal rubbish, not the stuff you post on here.

Oh I havee no doubt that they do control both but why worry when most of the nation is happy to share their views, likes and intimiate thoughts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.

Thrugelmir

BobQ wrote: »

Who said it was free, its just free to the user paid for by taxation.

Borrowing not taxation. The ultimate cost of the roll out is going to be substantial. Far beyond what the country can actually afford.

Herzlos

Thrugelmir wrote: »

Borrowing not taxation. The ultimate cost of the roll out is going to be substantial. Far beyond what the country can actually afford.

The governments going to be funding private suppliers reaching the rural users anyway.

I was under the impression this was expected to pay for itself in 7 years.