Broadband News
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Broadband price hike mirrors scrapped 50p broadband tax
11 Aug 2010 | 08.31 Europe/London
After many UK ISPs spent last year arguing that the previous government’s broadband tax of 50p on every phone line in the country was unfair and would prevent low income families from going online, broadband suppliers are now poised to raise their monthly bills by 50p.
The price rise is in line with BT increasing the cost of its monthly line rental by 50p from October onwards.
TalkTalk has become the first high profile ISP to confirm it will pass on the monthly line rental increase. The ISP was one of the most vocal opponents of the broadband tax.
The BT rise is widely being seen as a means of moving customers on to long term, 24 month contracts for which the overall cost of line rental, calls and broadband has been reduced to less than carrying on month by month.
The 50p per month broadband tax had attracted a lot of opposition and was dropped by the previous Labour administration. The incoming coalition Government has confirmed it will not be resurrected. It is then, perhaps, ironic that after so much opposition to the 50p levy, a 50p (plus vat) price rise should be announced within three months of the controversial tax being scrapped.
The price rise is in line with BT increasing the cost of its monthly line rental by 50p from October onwards.
TalkTalk has become the first high profile ISP to confirm it will pass on the monthly line rental increase. The ISP was one of the most vocal opponents of the broadband tax.
The BT rise is widely being seen as a means of moving customers on to long term, 24 month contracts for which the overall cost of line rental, calls and broadband has been reduced to less than carrying on month by month.
The 50p per month broadband tax had attracted a lot of opposition and was dropped by the previous Labour administration. The incoming coalition Government has confirmed it will not be resurrected. It is then, perhaps, ironic that after so much opposition to the 50p levy, a 50p (plus vat) price rise should be announced within three months of the controversial tax being scrapped.