The Government’s plan to introduce a 50p levy on all telephone land lines has run in to heavy criticism from an all-party group of MPs.
The Business Innovation and Skills Committee has labelled the tax as “ill-directed” because it takes money from everyone to deliver a gain that not all will see. As the committee concluded:
“We [...]

The Department for Business Innovation and Skills has opened up a three month consultation period to gather views on how the Next Generation Fund could best be used to bring Next Generation Access to 90% of the population by 2017. Estimates suggest the fund could reach as much as a billion pounds within that period.
The [...]

The pre-Budget report is out and the “broadband tax” is in – meaning the Chancellor has given the green light to a measure that’ll cost British households with fixed lines a minimum of 50 pence each month. This comes as another Commonwealth country is talking about putting a levy on its telecommunications firms instead of its consumers. And it wasn’t the only announcement that concerns Digital Britain in what’s being seen as Alistair Darling’s first real Budget.

Leaked Government documents appear to reveal that the 50p levy on fixed lines intended to fund Britain’s access to super-fast broadband could cost consumers more than previously thought. Accordingly, not only will Value Added Tax (VAT) come in the equation, but we also now appear to have confirmation that households with more than one phone line will be charged separately for each one.

The Queen’s been giving Her annual address to Parliament, formally unveiling what will be the current Government’s final legislative programme. In doing so, she announced that a new Digital Economy bill would be published on Friday and what the key elements will be – and there’s no mention of the infamous 50p levy on landlines being implemented.

Rumours of the death of the 50p per month tax on copper phone lines appear to have been exaggerated.
Stephen Timms, the minister responsible for Digital Britain announced this morning that it will be a key part of a finance bill that will be presented to the commons when parliament reconvenes after the party conference season.
Timms [...]

Broadband writer Bill Thompson’s excitement over where Digital Britain is headed has swung from anxiety to mild optimism back to anxiety, all within a year.
Having worked for Pipex and then headed up the Guardian’s new media business in the ‘90s before going freelance for the likes of the BBC, he has had hands-on experience of [...]

The Digital Britain team has rejected any suggestion that the 50p copper phone line is to be dropped.
In the face of the Government seemingly cooling on the idea, the Digital Britain team recommitted itself to a 2010 deadline for the 50p levy to become established (digitalbritainforum.org.uk).
The move follows much debate within politics and new [...]

Point Topic have been busy crunching numbers to illustrate how Next Generation Access (NGA) might be implemented.

Will the 50p phone line tax only bring fibre to 80% of the UK ?

The Business and Enterprise Committee are to hold an inquiry into Broadband speeds in the UK.