The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has recommended NBN Co make available more information about the rollout of the NBN to interested stakeholders to ensure a level playing field for Aussie telcos.With Telstra having a closer involvement in the planning and rollout of the NBN under NBN Co’s shift to a multi-technology mix, the measures are designed to ensure Telstra does not gain, or is not perceived to gain, an unfair competitive advantage.
The ACCC has recommended that interested stakeholders receive regular reports on key information about the rollout of the NBN, that NBN Co regularly consult about information disclosure to ensure the reports remain relevant to stakeholders, and that NBN Co maintain a list of all of the documents that it provides to Telstra, making the documents available on request to relevant stakeholders.
It has also recommended that NBN Co not disclose information about a customer’s choice of NBN service provider to Telstra, or to other service providers, except on a case-by-case basis, where it is needed to resolve a migration problem for the customer.
“Through these measures, interested stakeholders will receive information to assist their business planning and investment decisions,” ACCC chairman Rod Sims commented. “These measures will also support competition by placing interested stakeholders in an equivalent position to Telstra in the transition to the NBN.
“Consumers will in turn benefit from stronger competition amongst NBN service providers for their business.”
The ACCC report, which follows public consultation undertaken earlier in the year, has been provided to the Minister for Communications and will inform the consideration of a carrier licence condition for NBN Co.
