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British Government to start taxing Satellite bandwidth

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  • 12-05-2002 3:00pm
    #1
    carrolls
    Registered Users Posts: 1,011 ✭✭✭


    Satellite operators and maybe customers are going
    to be charged for using satellite transmission frequency spectrum. See site.
    http://www.thisismoney.com/20020512/nm48151.html
    If it's the TV operators ( BSkyB, ITV, BBC) that are going to be charged, will the increase be passed onto Irish customers?
    Also will BBC and ITV remain Free to view on Satellite in the UK?
    The era of BBC FTA cards may be numbered.


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    #2
    lawhec
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,757 ✭✭✭lawhec


    I cannot really see this working out.

    First of all the spectrum that Sky uses for DTH satellite services is not "owned" by the UK. It comes from a satellite postition which is registered to Luxembourg (Astra/SES Global). Apoligies for not knowing where the Eutelsat Eurobird satellite stands on this. Is this a ghost of BSB resurrecting itself?

    Secondly if the Sky services were do be taxed, what does it do about services uplinked to other satellites? e.g. Scandinavian services uplinked from London, SNG, BBC World & Prime etc.

    It sounds like someone is trying to make a quick buck by preparing a "windfall tax" without thinking it through.

    BTW I stand corected on anything above that might be wrong.


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    #3
    chernobyl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,682 ✭✭✭chernobyl


    Actually it reminds me of regional sensitive smart cards and encryptions...April 1'st.

    /Dumb, unenforceable idea.


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    #4
    Saruman
    Registered Users Posts: 11,389 ✭✭✭✭Saruman


    Absolute Stupidity! I cant see this going ahead.... Reasons have been pointed out above!


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    #5
    The_Conductor
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 32,279 Mod ✭✭✭✭The_Conductor


    If anyone has a just right to tax satellite bandwidth, surely it is the countries or territories over which the satellites have their orbits. Unless I'm grossly incorrect the ASTRA/SEC orbit is a geostationary equatorial orbit, originally launched from French Guinea (now the Peoples Republic of Congo I think). Sorry for digging in the old colonial card- but isn't this the old colonial superpower trying to strip yet another potential revenue source from its wayward child.....

    Labour in the UK have bankrupted the telecoms companies, and ruined any faith potential investors have in them with windfall taxes and 3G auction licences. £22 billion sterling for 3G licences- my God- thats almost £400 per head of population.......

    There are only so many rabbits one can pull from a hat- a lesson Charlie McCreevy is about to learn......


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    #6
    carrolls
    Registered Users Posts: 1,011 ✭✭✭carrolls


    Yeah, I suppose if the British government had any legal case, they would have done this years ago.


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