Australia: ACCC gives small broadband providers a boost in pricing

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has given smaller retail broadband providers a boost in its latest draft determination, which outlines the prices retail service providers without a commercial agreement could pay to acquire National Broadband Network (NBN)-like fixed line “superfast” broadband wholesale services on non-NBN networks.

The Australian competition watchdog released its draft decision for the superfast broadband access service and the local bitstream access service (LBAS) following industry input responding to its discussion paper released in September 2016.

Under the draft decision, the initial prices for providers other than Telstra will be $27.00 per port per month plus $15.25 per Mbps per month for aggregation. The aggregation price is $2.25 less than its existing regulated level.

The major SBAS and LBAS networks affected include those operated by Telstra (South Brisbane and Velocity Estates networks), TPG, Vocus, LBN, Opticomm, and OPENetworks.

TPG’s fibre-to-the-basement (FTTB) network rollout, which heavily targeted high-density apartment blocks, and other non-NBN networks rolled out in new housing estates were among the projects that helped to trigger the ACCC’s enquiry.

Full Content: ARN From IDG

Want more news? Subscribe to CPI’s free daily newsletter for more headlines and updates on antitrust developments around the world.