Full Digital Britain Report Published Comments

Look at the way they made the logo look like a USB key, that's so awesome.

I don't agree with the universal service obligation. If you choose to live in the middle of nowhere to improve your quality of life and get away from urban life then that's your decision. There's a disproportionate cost of supplying broadband to remote areas and I don't see why this should be subsidised by others. They're having their cake and eating it. Surely 3G or Wimax makes the most sense for providing coverage in these areas.

And before anyone mentions it I know that not all people who don't receive broadband live out in the sticks! My rant doesn't particularly apply to them.

The whole point of the universal service obligation is that a lack of broadband internet access is becoming more and more of a social disadvantage, and minimising that sort of thing is pretty much one of a government's key objectives.

Not everyone can live in a city, and that sort of argument is pretty silly. Plus, they pay the same as you for the same package, despite receiving a fraction of the service, so in many ways, they've already been subsidising you.

It works both ways, and government fighting for decent net access for everyone is laudable.

Any mention in there of if/when they will be upgrading DAB to DAB+?

@Simon
http://www.getdigitalradio.com/digital-radio-faqs#DABPlus_tab

We should really be getting on the DAB+ bandwagon ASAP. To me FM still sounds nicer than DAB.

Hugo glad your still alive after the read. - Such noble, selfless duty is an inspiration to us all ;)

here's what I "thing" ;)

- No mention ( in the report?) of industry contributing to the backbone? Given ISP's "encourage" cosumers NOT to use peak times for downloads, it kinda suggests who should bear the major burden here.
- I have no issue with the £6 IF it actually goes to the infrastructure and not to a different use - as seems the TV license fee is heading now.
- How does OFCOM - an independent body I thought, take charge of a legal duty on piracy, Seems a gross conflict of interest to my mind! And how they propose to deal with VPN and SSL is another issue - without intrusive behaviour!

Oh and by the way ravmania, "...If you choose to live in the middle of nowhere to improve your quality of life... " Some of us have always lived in the country!!! -WE produce the food YOU townies eat! Sheesh.

Another tax, and more police resources wasted chasing file pirates (EG. it took 40 officers to arrest a suspected woman peedo last week)instead of visibility patrols on the streets. Welcome to the stupidity that is britain today. And still the dumb British public vote for these crooks, and the police are 20% made up of crooks go figure?

"WE produce the food YOU townies eat!"

If we didn't, you'd chase that around with dogs and muskets too.

Look, the report isn't THAT bad and sadly, I imagine it had to be designed to be read by many people who aren't that technologically savvy, even in the highest paid jobs. I mean don't people like Boris Johnson have to understand this stuff as well? Leaving style aside for a second, some of the actual content is disheartening if not unexpected. I thought when it came to file sharing we'd win the revolution but if every government is going to insist on bending over for the industry, then we really are screwed. I guess the recent decision in France is a nice little glimmer of hope.

@ GoldenGuy
"If we didn't, you'd chase that around with dogs and muskets too." LOL yea!!

....Gerroff my laaaand! ( And yes, I admit it, I DID say that once to someone who let their dogs chase my livestock!)

?Muskets ;)

Seriously, tho' we need a common infrastructure to support out-workers and 'inner' city. If we are to compete in a global manufacturing society and a technological one too. Not just to allow Mr & Mrs Average watch BBC iPlayer stutter free.

"Seriously, tho' we need a common infrastructure to support out-workers and 'inner' city. If we are to compete in a global manufacturing society and a technological one too. Not just to allow Mr & Mrs Average watch BBC iPlayer stutter free."

Agreed. I was salivating at the mouth when there wereeven the slightest rumours of that project to take the internet down to the Tube. Everyone snorts with derision when they think of people trying to surf on a 15" laptop during bustling, sweaty rush hour, but the truth is that iPhone would become much more than just a toy to whip out at McDonald's. The netbook market would become extremely significant at that point.

@Simon & @Peter: Regardless of whether/when/if DAB+ launches, DAB will stay "for the foreseeable future"

Hugo, some slightly confused points you've raised on radio:

"a complete switchover to digital radio will be implemented once digital stations comprise 50 per cent of all radio listening "

That's not how I read it. The "Digital Upgrade" mentioned in the report will occur when 50% listening occurs on digital platforms, not a complete switchover to Digital Radio. FM will stay for community (volunteer based) and "ultra-local" commercial radio beyond 2015.