Is online TV throttling broadband networks?

But Ofcom also said it isn't aware of there being any bandwidth reductions as a result of iPlayer but it is "keeping an eye on developments".

Ofcom suggests the next generation of broadband networks may require types of new business models or commercial relationships to fund them.

This could see content providers paying for the delivery of services as well as customers paying to receive them - much like the way retailers and customers pay to use credit card services.

But the other major UK ISPs are less concerned with this issue than Tiscali is.

The list from A to Z

Click on the links below to find out more...

A is for ADSL
B is for BT
C is for Cable & Wireless
D is for Dial-up
E is for Education
F is for Fibre
G is for Goonhilly
H is for HSDPA
I is for In-flight
J is for Janet
K is for Kingston
L is for Landlines
M is for Murdoch
N is for Next generation
O is for Ofcom
P is for Power lines
Q is for Quad-play
R is for Remote working
S is for Satellite phones
T is for Trains
U is for Unbundling
V is for VoIP
W is for WiMax
X is for Xbox
Y is for YouTube
Z is for Zombies

BT told silicon.com the full launch of iPlayer hasn't had any impact on the service its customers receive.

On whether content producers should fund the upgrading of networks, the company said it's "assessing all options to meet the demands of its customers".

Although BT wouldn't say whether it employs traffic shaping, the telco said it manages its network to "ensure the best experience for its broadband customers".

Virgin Media also told silicon.com it has received no reports of reduced bandwidth due to iPlayer usage.

The company said it will soon launch iPlayer via its TV service, which is separate from its broadband, and it is unlikely that additional take-up will have much impact on its broadband service.

Virgin Media added that download services such as iPlayer are a sign of increasing demand for higher bandwidth speeds and said it will continue to improve its network to cope.

But the company did admit it employs traffic management at certain times to ensure heavy users don't disrupt the service of other users.

Orange declined to comment.

For its part, the BBC told silicon.com although its content puts demand into the networks, the solution is not to "throttle demand and by doing so, create a digital divide".

A BBC statement said: "This is not just an issue for the BBC but for all broadcasters and for all content producers."

The Beeb claims it's in the interests of the UK economy for all parties to work together to make sure the country is able to be in the "vanguard of next-generation broadband nations".

At the moment Tiscali is pretty much alone among ISPs in publicly suggesting content providers, such as the Beeb, should stump up to fund broadband network upgrades.

But with Ofcom saying content provider business models may need to change in the future, there is the very real possibility that the BBC et al may one day have to put their hands in their pockets if home internet users are to continue enjoying shows such as Top Gear online.