ACCC moves to speed rollout of ADSL networks

Stuart Corner
Monday, 14 July 2008 08:11

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

However Steve Dalby, chief regulator officer of iiNet, told iTWire: "There is no independent oversight of the process by which Telstra grants itself exemption from giving us access to an exchange... [the rule] implies that the ACCC will do something about it if they are dissatisfied but it is only one step in the process."

He also suggested that, rather than declare an exchange to be full, Telstra should have to apply to the ACCC and have its application assesses by the ACCC or some independent body.

Dalby added that the operational separation regime, which was supposed to give competitors equivalence to Telstra, fell far short of achieving this. "Telstra does not have to follow the same rules as anyone else [to access exchanges'. They do not have get in the queue with everybody else and wail until someone else has finished before they can get access to the building. Telstra can look at some space and say 'we will have that' even if others have been in the queue for two years. Then that exchange suddenly becomes capped."

Access to Telstra facilities is covered by facilities access regulations, but Dalby said these covered more the technical aspects, not actually the right to access. "The facilities access regime is more about how you go about using  exchange space if you do get access: power loading and heat loadings etc...Access to exchanges is not a declared service it follows from the declaration of the ULL."