UK-wide equality of broadband, telephone and TV

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The idea

All areas of the UK, no matter whether rural, semi rural or town/city should have the same rates of broadband access and should be able to access the same commerical low-cost telephone and broadband packages (which requires their telephone exchange to be "de-bundled" or enabled in a special way).

Any government scheme to roll out faster broadband must give and require wholly equal treatment and timing to all areas of the UK.

All areas of the UK should be able to receive the full range of digital TV services via the Freeview system when required to switch over to digital. At present, many areas on "relay transmitters" will receive a significantly limited Freeview service indeed. The Government must ensure that the switchover does indeed, as advertised, enable all TV licence-payers to receive free of charge the full Freeview service, and switchover of remaining areas must not occur until this guarantee can be 100% applied.

Why is it important?

This is simply fairness. We all pay the same TV licence and basic phone rental for our Internet, we all pay the same commercial prices for the packags available. Only some people can get it cheaper than others (a lot cheaper, £10-15+ a month perhaps), and others can't, and no-one seems to care about this inequality.

No person in the UK should be at a disadvantage in this day and age, certainly with what are essential day to day information, communication, transactional and educational tools. No person should have faster or slower access for the same payment, and no person should be required to pay more for their telephone and/or Internet services (usually also at the same time receiving a much inferior and slower service).

Successive Governments have stressed the need for fast broadband and related facilities, yet this clearly only applies where the commerical providers can be bothered to install the appropriate equipment.  If it really matters, then let's see it everywhere.

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