ICT Minister, Senator Helen Coonan is urging Telstra to deploy ADSL2+ broadband in its remaining exchanges before its competitors get there first.
“For too long they [Telstra] have capped broadband speeds at 1.5 mbps, artificially constraining consumers from getting the speeds they deserve. And while they have switched on their faster ADSL 2+ broadband service in recent weeks, they have only done so in exchanges where competitors are already offering fast broadband speeds,” she said.
“Telstra cannot continue to falsely claim Government regulation stands in the way of giving consumers faster broadband. Mr Samuel made his position plain today showing there are no regulatory impediments to giving more Australians access to ADSL 2+,” she added.
She said that both Telstra and the Government have key roles in deploying fast broadband services, and the Government is keeping up its end of the bargain, investing $3.1 billion in telco services. She said that there should be an end to the “Government blame game” and that it is up to Telstra to flick the switch on ADSL2+ in remaining exchanges before its competitors.
“There are customers there for the taking and Telstra shareholders should urge the company to get on the front foot and take advantage of this, rather than let their competitors get there first. It appears Telstra is prepared to cut off its nose to spite its face when it comes to broadband.
“Ultimately it will be competition that will force Telstra to act. There is no better example of this than Telstra’s approach with ADSL2+. And it will be competition that delivers Australian consumers more choice of broadband provider, more choice of broadband speeds at a price they can afford,” she said.
