Kitz Forum
Announcements => News Articles => Topic started by: Bowdon on October 20, 2016, 10:22:44 AM
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UK Councils Seek Cheap 10Mbps Broadband Tariff for Low Income Users (http://www.ispreview.co.uk/index.php/2016/10/uk-councils-seek-cheap-social-broadband-tariff-low-income-users.html)
The Local Government Association, which supports councils from all over England and Wales, has called for the proposed 10Mbps broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) to include a subsidised “social tariff” so that those who are unemployed or on low incomes can get an affordable service.
The importance of affordability was also reflected in the Government’s March 2016 USO consultation, which noted: “The rationale of a USO is to act as a ‘safety net’ where market forces alone do not deliver affordable access to basic services for people, particularly those in remote areas or those with low incomes or disabilities. USOs aim to ensure that a minimum set of communications services are available to everyone at a fixed location, upon reasonable request, and at an affordable price, irrespective of where they live, in order to prevent social exclusion.”
One of the key strands of the existing legally-binding USO is the requirement on BT and KCOM (Hull) to ensure that all customers can afford to obtain and retain a telephone service, which must be able to support “functional internet access” (i.e. slow dialup speeds). This includes provisions for those who might otherwise struggle to afford such a service.