Been digging into the economics of Labour's broadband plan. What's amazing - at least to me - is how much money you save simply by avoiding the costs of competition
— Rowland Manthorpe (@rowlsmanthorpe) November 15, 2019
According to the govt's own figures, providers fighting for the same customers adds £6.2bn to the total cost
Labour is promising everyone in the UK free full-fiber broadband by 2030, if it wins the general election. Quite the promise! https://t.co/7RErdme9oJ
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) November 14, 2019
I admire Labour's aim to improve the state of FTTP and broadband in the UK, but the devil is in the details. Nationalizing Virgin and Sky? Huh. Far better to deal with Openreach and build the infrastructure that creates competition and choice for consumers and gives us 10Gbps https://t.co/dQbtggHm0w
— Tom Warren (@tomwarren) November 15, 2019
Idea in itself isn’t madness (some European countries are REALLY ahead of us on internet), but BT literally squandered millions of taxpayer money given to them a decade ago for this sole purpose. Tighter reigns essential, in general ISPs serve themselves, not their customers. https://t.co/Ys1mUZSWJ8
— Hannah Rutherford (@lomadia) November 15, 2019
Good move. Five years ago, as Guardian telecoms correspondent, I came to believe only this kind of govt intervention would produce the investment needed. The private sector just wasn't coming up with the cash. It still hasn't. https://t.co/A4KN5ICUfd
— Juliette Garside (@JulietteGarside) November 15, 2019
Free broadband, free computers, free digital training = all things that could massively push forward UK business in the medium term.
— dan barker (@danbarker) November 15, 2019
Silly to throttle UK progress in this area, when it's one of the few areas where we *can* realistically lead the world & bring in £ from outside. https://t.co/bGjdhr0S03
It’s really easy to make wild, undeliverable manifesto pledges when you know you’ve got absolutely no chance of winning.
— A Bot or Not a Bot (@ABotorNotaBot) November 15, 2019
If I win the GE, I’ll give everyone a unicorn that shits diamonds. Vote for me. https://t.co/7Hf8lfjc0K
“Free”. Everything will be free under Corbyn, until he runs out of other people’s money. https://t.co/0QtVtf63FZ
— Rɪᴄʜᴀʀᴅ Kᴇᴍᴘ ⋁ (@COLRICHARDKEMP) November 15, 2019
This is a more important policy than just saving people money.
— Jay McKenna (@JayMcKenna87) November 15, 2019
Internet access improves your social and economic well-being. And as the government pushes more services online only, it’s right the next government makes that access free.
*Sent from paid for broadband* https://t.co/2F2f8D3mvR
There is no such thing as ‘free’ - if the plan is to tax Apple, Google etc for this, it’s the consumer who will foot the bill through higher prices. https://t.co/olBJxKwvYx
— James (@jamesdevonport) November 14, 2019
Labour is running on a range of incredible policies that would improve millions of lives and I suspect some pundits are going to claim this is basically cheating https://t.co/cgXq6LqFnw
— Luke Savage (@LukewSavage) November 14, 2019
Free broadband for all is a visionary policy. Let's bring the UK up to speed by making businesses, workers and services more connected.https://t.co/MrSjdKp9gd
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) November 15, 2019
This is - and I can’t stress this enough - absolutely INSANE. https://t.co/p2wzyZvSUC
— Luke (@lukerobertblack) November 14, 2019
Have you until 2030 so you can implement free optical fibre?
— VoiceOfTheForgotten ??????????? (@GiftCee) November 15, 2019
You spent 3 years blocking the implementation of a democratic vote, you can’t deliver on a democratic vote so how will you deliver free broadband.@UKLabour can’t even deliver anything @DavidLammy https://t.co/T8OitSI153
“An open network owned by the government” the most left wing labour government In modern times controlling what you can and can’t see then. But as long as is it’s FREE! https://t.co/hSfQAzuFhv
— JT (@JTSHEEPS35) November 15, 2019
A Marxist Labour government controlling your internet connection. Not at all disturbing... https://t.co/u76tDgfCwC
— SquealerJones 'Parody' (@squealerjones84) November 14, 2019
A Labour government would nationalise BT’s Openreach network and provide free full-fibre broadband to every home and business in the UK, shadow chancellor John McDonnell has announced https://t.co/e0SeKGyV5e
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) November 15, 2019
Labour vows to give every home free broadband by 2030 https://t.co/zzRIZtTp3N
— Financial Times (@FT) November 14, 2019
The UK’s Labour party has pledged to provide free full-fibre broadband to every home and business by nationalising BT’s Openreach network sector https://t.co/jpz479tEAz
— Financial Times (@FinancialTimes) November 15, 2019
Free for all: “BT was taken by surprise by the Labour announcement having been reassured by John McDonnell in the summer that BT was “not on the list” for nationalisation.”
— roula khalaf (@khalafroula) November 15, 2019
Labour vows to nationalise BT’s Openreach network https://t.co/TTlKayDhsH via @financialtimes
Worth noting: Labour’s broadband plan would be in clear breach of State Aid rules if we stay in the EU. So I guess they want a telecoms Brexit? https://t.co/c3m7lEQTns via @financialtimes
— CyNic Fildes (@NicFildes) November 15, 2019
Business is one thing but households.. do they really need the speeds offered by full fibre broadband? Labour vows to nationalise BT’s Openreach network | Financial Times https://t.co/F5hudcYXuB
— Neil Hume (@humenm) November 15, 2019
Here we go...the market has failed badly on broadband and still fleecing customers to channel £billions of profit to shareholders. Now Labour proposes a solution and the private companies are on the media squealing about how much it will cost !https://t.co/4v3YwD3Rku
— Bradsky53 ?? (@Bradsky53) November 15, 2019
Labour pledges free broadband for all homes/firms.
— Prem Sikka (@premnsikka) November 15, 2019
Millions of poor, elderly can get online.
Currently, govt gives billions to BT to put broadband. Recently Boris Johnson promised another £5bn. BT keeps that asset and income from it. https://t.co/e2lxvbDrYD
UK Labour’s proposal to give free broadband to everyone in Britain sounds nice in principle, but I’d be prepared to bet it turns out considerably worse than Australia’s over-budget under-performing vastly-delayed National Broadband Networkhttps://t.co/jGQfzCOhuR
— Ross Dawson (@rossdawson) November 15, 2019
Btw people did spot the charter of digital rights, algorithmic injustice and surveillance stuff in last night’s Labour press briefing. Didn’t they?
— Peter Wells (@peterkwells) November 15, 2019
*waits for more info*https://t.co/NNYLbTh3MT pic.twitter.com/XUs1bFbUDu
Jeremy Corbyn: “It’s time to make the very fastest full-fibre broadband free to everybody, in every corner of our country.
— Andrew Fisher (@FisherAndrew79) November 15, 2019
“Making it free will open up opportunities for everybody, at the cutting edge of social and economic change” #GE2019https://t.co/G6cJY6yQnz
Labour’s broadband nationalisation: radical and necessary https://t.co/SJcXfLmwsI
— Michael (@therightarticle) November 15, 2019
The Guardian view on Labour’s broadband nationalisation: radical and necessary | Editorial https://t.co/IZBSS6ZWHi
— Guardian politics (@GdnPolitics) November 15, 2019
UK Labour party pledges free broadband funded in part by Silicon Valley tax https://t.co/sl1nNTZszs pic.twitter.com/OfyRZ7OS9O
— The Verge (@verge) November 15, 2019
UK Labour party pledges free broadband funded in part by Silicon Valley tax https://t.co/2U0eCxA4BQ pic.twitter.com/rszMPwEuep
— Johnny Brightman (@Johnnybrightman) November 15, 2019
Labour's broadband giveaway is not "communism" - but it it is radical social democracy in action. An explainer via my newsletter #TheWaves https://t.co/f8gFRAhKJW - please sign up!
— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) November 15, 2019
今日はこれに尽きるね。労働党は、BTを部分国有化でブロードバンド無料化、原資はデジタル巨人に20b課税、50万人の雇用を復活、水道から郵便まで国有化へ。もう保守党以外選択肢ない。。→Labour vows to nationalise BT’s Openreach network https://t.co/tXCc10BIXH @financialtimesさんから
— ろばやん (@RSB30) November 15, 2019
Yes, here you go. Are you saying that it's fine for Japan and South Korea to do this, but not the UK? Why should we be ripped off? https://t.co/iWVOkj6MkV
— Marea Rosa (@hellishwaitress) November 15, 2019
Our piece on the ongoing struggle for net neutrality & publicly-owned internet infrastructure came out on the same day that the UK Labour party called for free universal broadband. It is a worthy goal, one that we should all be fighting for: https://t.co/h4FyCaL6Zh @_DavidBerman https://t.co/F8vYUbd05O
— Victor Pickard (@VWPickard) November 15, 2019
Labour pledges free broadband for all homes and businesses in UK https://t.co/ech0RLehK9
— Guardian politics (@GdnPolitics) November 14, 2019
Labour pledges free broadband for all homes and firms in the U.K.
— John Erskine (@johnerskine) November 15, 2019
99.3 per cent of households and businesses in Ross, Skye and Lochaber (35,103 premises) will get a stronger, more reliable internet connection.https://t.co/gHWT8jcWsR
The Guardian view on Labour’s broadband nationalisation: radical and necessary | Editorial | Opinion | The Guardian https://t.co/xImsLJhg9W
— Samuel Miller (@Hephaestus7) November 16, 2019
I was just on @BBCr4today discussing how Labour's nationalisation plans fit with bringing down the cost of living ... a wider perspective here on #TheWaves my newsletter https://t.co/f8gFRAhKJW please sign up ??
— Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) November 16, 2019