Cheap Broadband Internet» digital economy bill

Filesharing Laws to be limited to Large ISPs by Ofcom

RM — Thu, 27 May 2010 05:33:17 +0000

It has been reported that the terms that featured in the Digital Economy Bill of the government of the United Kingdom would only affect the internet service providers with over 400,000 subscribers initially.

Trefor Davies, the chief executive of Timico revealed in one of his blog postings that the telecommunications watchdog of the United Kingdom, Ofcom has confirmed the fresh legislation would just impact over seven UK broadband providers and would seldom include mobile broadband.

Nevertheless, there were plans to make sure that the code would be engaged in regard to every broadband internet company whose users shared online files illegally.

Davies further disclosed that illegal online downloaders that migrated to a broadband provider that were hardly included in the code’s soft launch would be eventually covered as the regulator followed the traffic.

Davies added that the regulator was also analysing closely the levels of copyright infringement besides what was preventing the realisation of new innovative business models.

Digital Economy Bill Pitfalls briefed to the Government

Mersault — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 05:23:50 +0000

TalkTalk, the leading business broadband provider operating in the United Kingdom has told the Members of the Parliament and Peers last day that copyright content of the internet could not be protected by the Digital Economy Bill.

In the case presented by TalkTalk, one of the leading internet service providers in the country that offered broadband and home phone bundle packages it was categorically outlined that the Bill would only encourage the consumers to come up with fresh methods to tackle the implemented restrictions.

Furthermore, the broadband provider showed in its case, examples of a few of the tools, which were avalilable for the people currently to carry on with the illegal filesharing practices evading the restrictions.

The examples shown by TalkTalk included tools to rip cpyright material from iPlayer-like music players and the TV, non-UK websites, which streamed sporting events at pay-per-view, services that conceal the IP addresses of consumers with a view to avoid detection, and application to catalogue after downloading tracks from chosen artists by scanning internet radio stations.

Meanwhile, the broadband provider also stressed the point that financial requirements were not always the reason behind the users resorting to cppyright content theft, but a good number of people were simply irked by the restrictions – on the media on sales – by the digital rights management.

Digital Economy Bill Mentions No Broadband Tax

RM — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:22:19 +0000

The Digital Economy Bill of the Labour government carries no mention of the much talked about 50 pence broadband internet tax mooted originally as part of the Digital Britain report put forward by former communications minister Lord Carter. Since the government has laid out its digital economy bill programmes now, it seems the proposal has been shunted across to be part of a Finance Bill that will be proposed later in 2010.

However, the digital economy bill did not shunt the anti-online filesharing legislation proposal as it has been mentioned that the power to disconnect the services of persistent online illegal downloaders should vest on the government. I has also been mentioned that the government should enjoy the power to discuss what it considered to be the changes necessarily required in the 900MHz radio spectrum dispute.

Earlier in the day, the digital economy bill was read out by the Queen in the House of Lords. Accorting to the government, the bill would ensure the realization of an infrastructure for communications, which best suits the digital age, besides boosting public service broadcasting, providing competitive communications and supporting future economic growth.

The digital economy bill further outlined that the controversial service disconnection plans for the persistent illegal downloaders would function as a process consisting of two stages. The first stage of the two according to the bill would be taking measures to make the consumers aware of the issues as well as the penalties they would be facing if they offended persistently.

The second stage would be the introduction of powers to disconnect the service for the persistent filesharers, if they refuse to put an end to their uncalled for activities even after receiving warning issued to them by the authorities. It is understood that by the spring of 2011, this proposal would become law.