The BBC has reportedly been FORCED to block wireless Mobile Broadband users from viewing streamed video coverage of this year’s Olympics in China. Naturally the BBC tries to restrict its iPlayer content to license fee paying UK residents, though matching a users Internet Protocol (IP) address to physical locations doesn't always work as intended.

For example, IP's belonging to those with a Satellite broadband link are often traced to earth-stations outside of the UK and thus find they are unable to view the BBC's content. Now the BBC has decided to extend this exclusion to Mobile Broadband IP's too because it can't be sure whether they originate from inside or outside of the country (roaming).

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is largely to blame for demanding such tight controls, although it's easy to understand why when you consider the millions being made from the games broadcasting deals. In reality the high cost of roaming data makes streaming video content too costly when outside of the UK; some customers had to find that out the hard way (news).

The Register notes that the BBC's block currently only applies to Olympic coverage and its other iPlayer content remains unrestricted. Presently you’d have to be either very silly or a Russian billionaire to contemplate downloading online video while roaming outside of the UK, though the IOC doesn’t appear to understand that.