Digital Britain’s proposal of £6 a year broadband levy on all UK landline phone users could become a law before the election, the government’s treasury minister, Stephen Timms said at a conference in London organised by the chartered institute for IT, BCS.

The Guardian reports Timms as saying ” My aim is that we should legislate for that this side of a general election.”

This would mean that every home phone user in UK would pay an extra 50p a month and the government would get additonal revenue of £150m to £175m a year, if the financial bill successfully passes it in the autumn session.

In mid-August, Stephen Timms said that the Digital economy bill might not include broadband tax. He was  quoted by The Times as saying:

“If the question is, is the levy definitely going to be legislated for this side of the election, I can’t say for sure,” He also added: “Things that are contentious will have to be left until afterwards,”

Digital Britain Report which was released a couple of months ago proposed the broadband fund through levy to accelerate the growth of next generation broadband network in the UK. Other surveys indicated that super-fast broadband rollout would take seven to eight years to penetrate across the UK, however, the funding remained a key issue for any such forecast.

The Conservatives have not offered their open support to government’s broadband tax plans till date, however, Timm’s recent statment shows government’s serious view of next generation broadband rollout and its resolution to pass the tax proposal without the support of opposition.