UK consumers should not be forced to foot the bill for next generation broadband through a phone line levy, it has been claimed.
According to broadband.co.uk, more investment is needed to secure the future of high-speed internet across the UK, but the money should not come from the public.
The company's managing director Edd Dawson said that the government's plan to allow BT to charge its landline customers an extra 50p to help pay for the infrastructure – such as fibre optic cables – is misguided.
He said that while extra cash was essential, the levy on phone users would not be enough to ensure the next-generation network equipment was rolled out quickly.
Mr Dawson claimed that direct investment from Whitehall was the only way to raise the amount of money needed for the upgrade.
"It really has to be a direct investment. It doesn't necessarily have to be taken directly from consumers. It is an infrastructure investment for the whole of the country," he concluded.
According to new research from the BBC, three million homes in the UK have broadband speeds of less than 2Mbps.
Last Updated: 22/06/2009 18:00
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