to not want to pay 50p a month on top of my phone bill to pay for other people's internet when there are OAP's who have to choose between food and heat in the winter?

[FluffyBunnyGoneBad]

Isn't food/gas/electricity more important then internet access? I don't mind paying 50p but there are more important things that people need then high speed internet.

In the long term, Fluffy, this will pay for itself.

A few community centres just won't cut it. And besides, they'd cost a hell of a lot more than 50p a month, I'd bet - in the long term...

Right must let my children of the bicycle and light the candle to show me to bed.

"Why not invest into something that will really benefit someone's life? "

Well personally I class all of those things as being benefits to me.

Doesn't it depend on what you class as being worthwhile though hunker?

Ok, I see that Penthesileia.

LOL @ FAQ & Five.

I expect that historians of the internet will access this thread in a hundred years and say: "How odd that people should have resisted this change."

Of course it depends what you class as worthwhile.

Are you saying you don't think broadband access for all is a worthwhile thing?

Why?

I'm really not resisting it but I can't help but think that this money can be better spent somewhere else.

I'm saying that I'd put food/warmth/adequate housing on top of the need for broadband. Maybe it's just me and how I prioritise things, maybe not. There are so many people that live in cramped/damp conditions, I see this as more important then broadband.

We need nuclear energy not wind farms. When in Cornwall we use oil and will continue to do so.

We are running to catch up as it is as against countries like Belgium that have brilliant broadband access; broadband enables GCSEs to be marked more efficiently; it cuts down travelling costs with video conferencing; it means I can pay a man in Cornwall to do a job on my house, from Brussels, without having to post a cheque; it means I can keep in contact with my friends and family; I can do a distance learning MA; I can book ferries and trains to get back to UK quickly. It means that people with dhs and partners fighting in hot sandy places can keep in regular and instant contact.

When you want to book your holiday I bet you research it online; broadband access creates employment as Five and myself demonstrate; I couldn't mark GCSEs without broadband.

Yes, it would be good if winter fuel allowance goes up, but how do you fund that? How do you target it? Should someone on a generous pension be entitled?

Also, the way technology is advancing at the moment, it wont be long before your fridge is ordering your milk and eggs for you because it knows you've ran out!

This may sound far-fetched but inventions for this type of thing have been ongoing for a while now see this article which is already 9 years old! Inventions like the intelligent fridge will need broadband to enable them to work.

I think the government actually agree with you, Fluffy. They already spend a lot of money in those directions. Seriously: look at government spending figures if you want to see how much goes towards benefits, the NHS, etc. If you're saying you'd like to pay more tax towards those things again, that's another issue.

However, I am now wondering whether the internet is such a good thing after all, having spend nearly an hour following this thread!

"I'm saying that I'd put food/warmth/adequate housing"

Well as I said - I'm going to do my Asda shop online shortly (or maybe tomorrow looking at the time). It'll be a lot cheaper than my local supermarkets. Warmth - I found the cheapest deal online, and I pay online too. Adequate housing, well as it happens I found the house I rented briefly online, I was lucky and managed to get it almost as soon as it was listed...........had I waited until the next property pages paper came out I would probabl have missed the house.

Which reminds me - I must get the building and contents insurance sorted out - online of cousre as I'll get a 15% discount for doing it online rather than on the phone..........

spent

I think the 50p is a con as I live in scotland and because im not close to the main/correct exchange i get charged £10 a month more than people 10 miles down the road. is that not what the extra £10 is for, to upgrade the service in the future

FAQ - you're on fire tonight, with your helpful illustrations!

Really, Fluffy: the government has to see the internet for what it is. THE MOST IMPORTANT INVENTION OF THE PAST 20 YEARS. They have to make it accessible to everyone.

Yes but in the days before internet (), you could still do all this. It's like a mobile phone, people could still get by without it. Housing is a major problem in this country. Just because we are all lucky enough to not have mould growing up the walls etc it doesn't mean others are so lucky. I grew up in a cold, damp house and I was constantly ill. How many children still live like this?

what get cheaper insurance? Get my shopping delivered so I don't have to pay premium prices at local shops? Do an course which will vastly improve my chances of a job?

So how did people do those things then???

And you know as has already been said in the days before electricity.......................

and I wouldn't be too sure that everyone on MN lives in a mould or damp free house........

And why are you arguing all this on the internet, anyway?

Surely a placard would suit your style better?

Anyway - I'm off. To watch Live at the Apollo on iPlayer.

I'm not assuming FAQ

I can see your point, truly I can, however.......
You'll always find people like me. We're a PITA!

you said it

and I bet you'd be among the first to complain if you ended up moving somewhere without decent internet access

We live in one of those rural areas in Derbyshire. Our internet is at the end of several miles of copper cable. At peak times, i.e early evening we often have no internet at all as it gets so slow. we have no mobile signal on any network here and terrible terrestrial TV signal that breaks up all the time. The digital radios we bought with us when we moved here dont work either. I do all my shopping on line as we are 7 miles to the nearest supermarket and i work full time. BT have already said they dont expect to upgrade our line anytime soon as there are only 4 houses on it so it costs too much. none of the other coms providers will do business with us. (we have a sky dish - illegally sited on the back of our listed house, fortunately I cant imagine anyone will come out here to look!). We havent even got mains water (but we do have electriciy i love the peace and quiet here but if no-one. subsidises anything no one living out here would have any communications at all and we are only 7 miles from the nearest town!!!

really do not understand why this is not being paid for out of taxes if govt thinks it's so important - or is the new 'stealth tax' approach so we don't notice we're going to be paying loads more in tax? it'll be a tax on windows next - mark my words

It would be quite nice to quit mt MN addiction FAQ!

It sounds like heaven elastamum. I'm in Derbyshire too, no where as peaceful as you though