The Guardian’s reporting of Mark Thompson’s speech yesterday to the Oxford Media Convention appears to be unduly alarmist. According to the paper, the BBC Director General:
· ‘says its delivery of content will be undermined if ISPs start charging for [an] online 'fast lane'
· ‘said the ‘fast lane’ could undermine the BBC's responsibility to ensure its content is available to all licence fee payers over every platform.
· ‘has warned broadband providers not to introduce charges for delivering the corporation's programmes to homes via the internet’
I’ve read the full speech several times and I can find no evidence that the DG actually said any of those things. Oh sure, he obviously has some worries about access to content over broadband platforms, and that’s a legitimate concern, but this is expressed in a far less adversarial way than The Guardian piece suggests. For instance: “Don't assume then that the web itself is naturally immune from the technological and economic forces which could limit quality and … choice”. Well, no, we don’t. And, in relation to the dread ‘fast lanes’, Thompson actually has some pretty positive things to say, e.g. “Such premium services are a good idea, could help de-commoditize broadband and make the business case for infrastructure investment”.
But if all this seems to confirm that The Guardian is pursuing its own agenda on Net Neutrality, it has to be admitted that the DG takes a rather unconventional view on the subject:
“…net neutrality does mean that, no matter how many fast lanes there are, the basic internet service…should itself provide a very good, and consistently and fairly delivered, service…[The] objective should be that, once we've achieved universal broadband roll-out, every household…should enjoy a quality service”.
Well, if it’s a matter of motherhood, apple pie and decent broadband, I’m all for it. By all means, go tell that to BDUK - but it ain’t Net Neutrality!
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