Television, radio and telephony use spectrum which is leased by the Government of the day (well at least in the UK) though satellite remains out of its clutches.
Commercial players in these industries pay a rent the government for its use.
So why don't Internet Service Providers pay a rent for their services? It is a puzzle to me. We pay for stamps for our mail and for our telephone calls; we pay a licence fee for the BBC but for some reason this doesn't apply to the internet.
Here is my letter in today's Guardian:
Dear Sir
With regard to reigning in internet service providers and social networks all
the UK has to do is bring forward a licensing system. This doesn't necessarily
mean the introduction of a "spectrum" fee but it would mean the Home Office
having to come up with a Charter to which these companies would have to sign up
to.
Yours etc
Derek Wyatt