It’s been a tough week for the government in its attempts to set a new regulatory framework for the internet.
Firstly, it has had to agree not to cut off the internet connections of those caught engaging in illegal file-sharing, following the huge response to an online petition on the Number 10 Downing Street
website.
And then on Tuesday, it found its plans for funding the expansion of the super-fast broadband network across the country under attack from a committee of MPs.
The government is proposing to charge a levy of 50p per month on all fixed telephone lines in order to ensure that all parts of the UK have similar levels of access to broadband services.
In its latest report, the Commons business, innovation and skills select committee condemned the levy as “regressive and poorly targeted” – claiming that it would hit the poorest households hardest.
