Internet service providers (ISPs) are asking the BBC to fund network upgrades
to cope with the popularity of the
iPlayer viewing system.
The stunning success of the BBC iPlayer has seen one million programmes
watched online every month, but now ISPs are claiming that the increased traffic
is overloading broadband networks and they want the BBC to contribute to the
costs of upgrades.
"The question is about whether we invest in extra capacity or go to the
consumer and ask them to pay a BBC tax," said Simon Gunter, from ISP Tiscali.
Ofcom estimates that the cost of network upgrades could rise as high as
£830m, predominantly because the UK broadband infrastructure is still built
around copper rather than fibre optic cabling.
But some are claiming that this row over the iPlayer is a ploy by ISPs to get
public funding for network upgrades. Michael Phillips, from broadband comparison
service broadbandchoices.co.uk, said the problems have arisen because ISPs
underestimated the amount of downloading customers would do.
"The iPlayer has come along and made downloading a legal and mass market
activity," he said.
"They have priced themselves as cheaply as possible on the assumption that
people were just going to use email and do a bit of web surfing,"
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