Higher charges suggested for iPlayer usage

Tue 23 Dec 2008 Comment
The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) detailing the usage statistics for the BBC’s iPlayer Internet TV service has released a new interview with the BBC’s Controller for Vision and Online Media, Anthony Rose.
 
It is estimated that the iPlayer service now accounts for around 7 per cent of the peak UK broadband Internet usage, and in an effort to cope with heavy demand, some ISPs could soon charge customers up to £20 extra for access to it.
 
Speaking to the EBU, Mr Rose suggested that the BBC will look towards providing a tiered iPlayer service, offering different quality broadcasts and giving ISPs to charge customers according to the different bandwidth levels.
 
Antony Rose, commented: “For example, the user who enjoys higher bandwidth connections would pay more, and those who are satisfied with lower bandwidth connections would pay less. Of course, nobody should get a worse experience than today. We were offering streaming initially at 500 kbit/s. Today we are also offering 800 kbit/s and in three months time we might be offering 1.5 Mbit/s.”
 
In the interview, Rose suggested that ISPs could quite charge customers up to £10 a month for a good quality service. Alternatively, an increased price of approximately £20 would be enough to justify improved video and audio quality.
 
However, these comments have been met with concern. Although an increased price scheme would benefit ISPs and create a far more blossoming relationship between the providers and the BBC, it has been suggested that – in order to avoid increase subscription rates – customers would move away from IPTV and invest in a cheaper alternative, like a media streamer.
 

 

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