The BBC should not be forced to pay for upgrading the UK's broadband network to cater for the growing number of video downloads, telecommunication watchdog Ofcom has said.
Recent reports have highlighted that services such as the BBC's iPlayerand Google's YouTube have created increased demand for online video content, which may send the web into meltdown. With this in mind, UK ISPs have been demanding that the BBC should contribute towards the estimated £830m it will cost to provide the extra capacity needed to deliver video online.
However in evidence presented to a joint session of the Commons Culture, Media & Sport and Business & Enterprise committees, Ofcom chief executive Ed Richards said that forcing the BBC to fund the upgrades was not the best solution.
"It is not necessarily the only way it can happen, and it is not necessarily the way we anticipate it will happen," he said. "I am not convinced that the right answer is to get the BBC to pay for the iPlayer."
Richards instead suggests the cost of upgrading the UK's networks should be shared between network operators and consumers.
Richards also claimed Ofcom did not have the power to force the BBC to contribute towards the upgrade.
"I am very sure that we do not have that power, and I am pretty disinclined to go down that route," he added.
Comments
George Barton said: From a cable users point of view I have found that recently my Internet connection has become increasingly erratic with many crashes Have tried changing browsers to no avail If I paid my bills to Virgin Media erratically I am sure they would respond very quickly Its a case of OVERSELLING ---- too many users-- not enough product GBarton