Last Tuesday, the minister for communication Lord Carter unveiled his long-awaited report named “Digital Britain”. The report examined Britain’s digital sector and outlined the government’s strategy for broadband and digital content over the next few years. Here are some of the highlights that have come from the 240 page report.
Broadband Tax
- The government plans to bring 2Mbps broadband to all households by 2012.
- A 50p a month tax will be added to every fixed phone line connection.
- This tax should/will go towards giving high speed internet access to everybody in Britain by 2012 and then maintaining this network.
Dear Sir/Madam, Please Stop Illegally Downloading
- Disconnection is off the agenda but ISPs must reduce online piracy by at least 70% within the next year.
- ISPs have Ofcom’s blessing to use technical measures to slow down infringing users, including blocking IP addresses should a letter in writing not be enough.
Farewell FM Radio?
- The analog spectrum used by FM and AM is due to be removed by commercial radio stations by the end of 2015.
- The report wants all radio receivers to be compatible with WorldDMB profile 1, which means support for DAB and DRM (but not DVB-H).
- Lord Carter wants digital radio in every car by 2012.
- After 2015 the FM spectrum will be “temporarily” handed over to low-power local radio stations.
The BBC’s fund is safe for now
- The license fee for now, is safe.
- It is the digital propaganda fund, the £130m a year portion earmarked for adverts and information about Freeview, DAB etc – that will be redistributed.
- The digital propaganda fund will not go to Channel 4 as suspected but mainly Local TV news and children’s TV programming.
The Verdict
Getting the obvious out of the way first; expecting ISPs to act as the internet police is a bad idea, but at least the report hasn’t listened to the insane and recommended kicking file-sharers off the net altogether.
If I was to describe this report by a single word, it would be “sensible”. The report contains plenty of level headed ideas but nothing truly innovative. The main thing to remember about this report is that this is a 6-7 year plan from a government that will be gone in less than a year and a minister who’ll be in a more lucrative job in the private sector within weeks. Personally, I think it may turn into just one of those reports.