Re: Hate paying LINE RENTAL? Sign this...
A particularly idiotic e-petition showing zero understanding of the costs involved. The vast majority of the cost of the phone line is in the infrastructure of the local distribution network. Quite apart from the fact the local distribution network has a real value (bear in mind it was sbeold by the government to the shareholders), and those people, pension funds and the like, are due at least some return, there is the little matter that it costs a lot to maintain as ducts, connections, telegraph poles, drop cables all deteriorate. Then rates have to be paid on the network infrastructure including the necessary ducts, cabinets, poles and exchange buildings.
15% of the cost of a phone line? Forget it. You think any organisation can actually provided a physical path to each property for about £14 per year exc VAT (which is about 15% of the regulated price of providing the loop).
It's perfectly possible for any ISP to offer a non-voice ADSL service (in fact SDSL does that). Just provide a loop. That LLU operators find it necessary to provide a phone service too in order to make the entire package financially viable is just a fact of economic provision. Just inventing random percentages of existing line rental without taking into account the cost of provision is just being clueless.