Dermot, tell ComReg to cut the crap

pork99

well said De Rebel - I agree 100%

But its not only people on low incomes, though obviously it would be good to see such people benefiting (thats an obvious "public interest" issue).

I have relatives who are not poor - probably averagely well off - and I know that they will not get flat rate for 30 eur but they will consider it for 20 eur or less.

However they are a potential market for for affordable broadband. They don't use the internet now but if they could get a low cost entry level flat rate product, people like that might be "hooked" and buy broadband once they see the benefits of having the internet.

pete

Originally posted by De Rebel
There are people out there for whom €30 a month is well into unaffordable territory. They also have entitlements.

Ok first up, i agree 100% with this position, but at the risk of getting pedantic i do think there's a couple of issues getting confused here. (i'm probably going to confuse things even more now...)

To me there's a pretty big distinction between what is expensive and the affordability of goods or services. I have no doubt that €30 a month is beyond the means of some, but just because a service is unaffordable to some does not mean that it should automatically be described as "expensive". By what criteria do we define ''expensive''? Is the "expensiveness" of an item defined by it's price in relation to other goods or services, or is it defined by the ability of the individual to pay for it?

Sticking with this (currently) notional figure of €30, we're talking about €360 a year, €6.92 a week, or under a euro a day. It's hardly breaking the bank, and certainly compares pretty well with other activities (see previous post). How low does the price have to go so that it's at an ''acceptable'' level?

But then we have the issue of importance - is it vital that all citizens have access to the internet? The state provides allowances to those on low incomes / pensions for TV licenses, electricity, telephone line rental, fuel.... how long do we have to wait for the Free Internet Allowance application forms?


I think the issue raised by Pork99 on the other hand is more to do with a perceived return on investment rather than any price issue per se.

For example, while I would like to get NTL or Sky digital installed (and could afford to opt for either of them) I see no benefits to paying a flat monthly fee for a service that I believe I would only use on an occasional basis. And so I choose not to subscribe. That's not going to change until such time as I'm convinced otherwise... Or more specifically, It's not the cost of the service that's putting me off, they just haven't convinced me that I need it.

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uuuughhh i rambled a bit more than i thought i was going to there... sorry.

gurramok

Sticking with this (currently) notional figure of €30, we're talking about €360 a year, €6.92 a week, or under a euro a day. It's hardly breaking the bank, and certainly compares pretty well with other activities (see previous post). How low does the price have to go so that it's at an ''acceptable'' level?

Well as internet has only been a household name for less than 10 years, it is viewed as an extra expense to the household bill.
An expense that is still viewed as a luxury though hopefully friaco will make it an neccessity.
Remember also, pc's are expensive for a good number of families, especially those who bought them from the likes of rip-off Dixons/PC World.
Many families that have bought pc's and are still paying it off on a weekly basis just like a car loan over a number of years will find it difficult to fit in an extra 55 euro/month expense and its associated installation/modem costs.
Not forgetting that those newbies out there who don't have a pc and would be forking out alot to get a start on the internet ladder.
How low a price can go i guess depends on the proportion of people that can afford 30 euro a month, 55 i think is still too much for majority of people (my sister and brother fall into this category, both in their 30's with families)
Again as pete stated, some people will spend out of need, i got rid of ntl digital(despite it being crap) because i had not got the time for it.
Reason why i won't be getting their dsl is that i don't think its value for money especially with that cap. I stick with 30 euro a month for utvip for the time being, i usually use internet at home in evenings/weekends and use it in work anyway.
I don't wanna pay more than 40 euro for dsl despite the benefit of speed !

Dustaz

Gurramok, were talking about friaco here not dsl