ACCC puts Telstra on notice over service connection times

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by Stuart Corner

Tuesday, 01 July 2008

! The ACCC has detected significantly poorer performance from Telstra in the time taken to connect new end user services for wholesale customers compared to retail customers, and says it will be keeping a close watch on Telstra's future performance. Related stories Telstra's UK 'expert' all "false assumptions and bias" says T4 Optus: Telstra “threatened” by our rapid network expansion Should you fly the capped mobile broadband skies with iPrimus? Telstra challenges “ludicrous” Optus to get “independent audit” 'Pay by phone' gets new meaning with Visa trial Under the accounting separation regime Telstra is required to deliver to the ACCC a large amount of data on its performance in delivering services its own retail customers and the equivalent services when provided via wholesalers. The ACCC is required to compile and analyse these data and prepare and publish quarterly reports. The aim is to ensure that Telstra does not discriminate in favour of its own retail customers when providing what should be identical services. In its most recent report, for the quarter ended 31 March 2008  the ACCC says: "During the current quarter, and over the past four quarters, wholesale residential customers have received inferior levels of service for...basic access connections. Consequently, the ACCC will be closely monitoring Telstra's performance with respect to connecting these basic access services for wholesale customers in ensuing quarters." It added that variations between retail and wholesale on other reported parameters were generally within tolerance levels, and where they were not, the difference "could be due to one-off events or small volumes within the particular reporting category. The ACCC said Telstra had explained the inferior connection service delivered to wholesale customers as being due to technicians being redeployed to restore services in areas affected by extreme weather conditions." Telstra should have ensured that retail and wholesale customers suffered equally as a result of this redeployment but for residential customers 4.57 percent fewer new wholesale connection met the standard (connection with a set period from an order for a new service being placed) than retail, and for business line connections, almost 10 percent fewer wholesale services were connected within the required timeframe than retail. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to post your comment! Tags See All Tags Accounting separtion  Stuart Corner  Telecoms regulation  Telstra  Get stories like this delivered daily - FREE - subscribe now

 

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