Broadband is not only an important technology but is also an important market in its own right. Australian’s are taking up broadband services by leaps and bounds.
According to ACCC Commissioner, Ed Willett, this is a growth of over 100 per cent. “This represents an increase of over 1 million customers, or 122 per cent, over the preceding 12-month period,” said Willett, “this growth shows that broadband is an important market, in its own right.”Although, broadband services are also crucial to competition in other telecommunications market, as consumers getting a new broadband connection are also more likely to switch providers of telephone services. “ADSL remains the primary area of growth with near to a quarter of a million new services connected in the March quarter, it’s now at 1,298,100,” said Willett. Notably, Telstra is the main supplier of ADSL services, and most competing carriers us Telstra’s infrastructure to supply broadband services. Retail broadband competition therefore remains contingent on a service provider’s ability to gain reasonable access to Telstra’s copper wire network. The ACCC notes that Telstra is the main supplier of ADSL services, and most competing carriers use Telstra’s infrastructure to supply broadband services. Retail broadband competition therefore remains contingent on a service provider’s ability to gain reasonable access to Telstra’s copper wire network.