Yesterday was possibly the darkest hour for Digital in Britain. The government pulled out a regressive report that, if implemented, will stop Britain from ever becoming a leading Digital nation and prevent us all from taking advantage of the opportunities for disruptive creativity, social advance and jobs-and-wealth generating entrepreneurship that Digital technologies present to us all. Incumbent dinosaurs and monopolists can sleep soundly, sure that no risk menaces their dated business models. Everyone else will miss out, and have to pay yet one more stealth tax for the privilege.
A 50p levy on each fixed line will go towards rural broadband infrastructure. This will be used to encourage telcos to enter into a business they’ve already rejected as not profitable. Digital technology, meanwhile, keeps developing i.e. new wireless technologies that negate the need for the infrastructure in no time. This infra will be built where there’s no demand for it –if there was demand, prospects would have been willing to pay the right price for and would not need us to pay for it. It will require lifelong subsidies until it’s quietly switched off or nationalised. Apparently the tax only covers fixed lines – I’m hopeful for a good unlimited deal on wireless broadband in the coming months!
Innovation will not do for social sharing and cooperation. It doesn’t matter that rights owners, content licensees and ISPs are already cooperating on new subscription models that for the first time seem to address the public’s needs and be commercially viable. New business models, thriving innovation, opportunities for new and existing players? We can’t have that! Instead, we will send a letter to anyone who dares dissent with what we say is best, and if they don’t comply we’ll censor their Internet use.
Practical issues abound about the proposed measures: if a site is illegal it should be shut down, if it isn’t it can’t be censored; ports and protocols are content-agnostic so port and protocol blocking won’t do either (I can hear no talk of HTTP being blocked, being as it is used routinely for the transmission of illegal and indecent material…)
Yesterday was a day of mourning for Digital Britain. The minister presenting the report is on his way out and the government he still serves will follow him pretty soon. But we shouldn’t just be complacent and hope for a new administration to change tack. This is too important. Too much freedom, many opportunities and livelihoods depend on it. I say no to Digital Britain, and so should you.
rhortal (Roberto Hortal) says:
By me at Hortal.com: I say NO to Digital Britain http://bit.ly/X6xmM
Jun 17, 2009, 1:43 pmrhortal (Roberto Hortal) says:
I say NO to Digital Britain!: Yesterday was possibly the darkest hour for Digital in Britain. The government pul.. http://tinyurl.com/mj6uwt
Jun 17, 2009, 3:10 am