They say the best things in life are free. In the UK that apparently now includes a fast internet service, with "Free Broadband" deals apparently all the rage.
Read more here:
Never one to miss a media opportunity to take a dig at Telstra, so-called `independent' telco commentator Paul Budde seized on the news and to accuse Telstra of blocking similar deals in Australia.
This is how enews Magazine Crikey reported it:
"Free broadband? The Australian government won't let it happen Peter (sic) Budde, Managing Director of independent global telecommunications research and consultancy company, Paul Budde Communication, writes......"
Mr Budde went on to write that News Corp's launch of a "free" broadband service in the UK (www.telegraph.co.uk) would not happen here because the Australian government "continues to allow Telstra to dominate Foxtel which means there is no way that it will facilitate Foxtel competing with its BigPond service."
So while UK commentators were questioning the real value of so called 'free' broadband deals in the UK, Australia's sole "independent" telco commentator immediately thought they were a great thing and blamed Telstra for preventing it happening in Australia.
We'd like to know just how "independent" is independent nowadays?
Self-styled and so branded by an often willing media perhaps, but Paul Budde has interests of his own in telecommunications. But to find out exactly what Paul Budde's interest is in broadband over powerline consortium, Utilitel, from his website (www.budde.com.au), you need to pay $40.
As an advocate of the "free broadband" business model, one has to ask Mr Budde one question. Will Utilitel will be offering free broadband?
Rupert Murdoch is a clever and highly successful businessman. Somehow, we don't think he got there by giving things away. Nor of course do his competitors.
There's no such thing as a free lunch. And Rupert Murdoch is not Santa Claus.
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