[BrokenArrow]

Consumer 1 Government 0

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...t-8501923.html

Should make 4G cheaper.

[The Lord Lucan]

Unlikely to be cheaper.. but the roll out should be slightly faster. Coverage is the biggest priority to all of the networks right now. Increasing coverage costs lots of money which they will have already allocated any savings are likely to go back into that pot. However i read an article yesterday where it said that the prices paid were about what the networks were expecting to spend so.... maybe just George being an idiot. Which we already knew.

[Resonance]

Originally Posted by BrokenArrow

Consumer 1 Government 0

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-st...t-8501923.html

Should make 4G cheaper.

Considering most of the consumers are taxpayers then they'll end up paying for the shortfall one way or the other.

[BrokenArrow]

Originally Posted by Resonance

Considering most of the consumers are taxpayers then they'll end up paying for the shortfall one way or the other.

There is no shortfall, the government were trying to make free money from an asset they do not own, the ether.

[carguy143]

Originally Posted by BrokenArrow

There is no shortfall, the government were trying to make free money from an asset they do not own, the ether.

Whilst this is true, it won't stop the government trying.

[moox]

Good. The government (and apologists for the public sector) don't seem to get that overpaying for licences is just a tax on mobile phone users, as it is us who would have to bear the cost. It might also prevent the networks from getting the infrastructure out there.

I'd rather not have an increased bill just so government can have a few billions to play with (and spend in a few seconds on pointless crap).

[flagpole]

we have quite a nice thread about the 4G spectrum auctions, winners and consequences:
http://forums.digitalspy.co.uk/showthread.php?t=1800223

there is another one in politics alleging some kind of conspiracy if you are interested in that side of things.

[DevonBloke]

Originally Posted by BrokenArrow

There is no shortfall, the government were trying to make free money from an asset they do not own, the ether.

It's not really the ether though is it. it's valuable spectrum.
Anyway, a 1 billion shortfall is not going to be a problem. If you read the article posted by Lucan (#115) in the aforementioned thread by flagpole, the increase in GDP from a faster LTE rollout will easily outweigh it.

[The Lord Lucan]

Just looks bad for Osbourne in the short term.. But that's the issue everyone is about short term. In the long run it benefits the country more than the journalists can fathom.

[DevonBloke]

Yeah, Osbourne won't be worried at all. It's the media that just stir it all up to make him look bad.
Doesn't matter if it's Tory or Labour, the same thing would happen. I've got to an age where I realise we're being taken for a ride and don't believe any of it to be honest. It's all bollocks.

[Stiggles]

Originally Posted by DevonBloke

Yeah, Osbourne won't be worried at all. It's the media that just stir it all up to make him look bad.
Doesn't matter if it's Tory or Labour, the same thing would happen. I've got to an age where I realise we're being taken for a ride and don't believe any of it to be honest. It's all bollocks.

In fairness i don't think the media need to do that!

[DevonBloke]

True. But they do anyway, for good measure!