The Government has offered Australia's three mobile operators, and vividwireless, renewal of their existing spectrum allocated on 15 year licences in the late 90s and early 2000s at set prices, while the Government expects to rake in $3 billion.
So with Australia's trans-Tasman neighbour New Zealand,
the UK, and possibly the whole of Europe moving to embrace an increased
regulatory interventionist framework, with functional separation a key
principle, the pressure is now on the Australian government to follow
suit.
It is to be hoped that further dithering on this
issue is not a hallmark of this government as it has been with its
predecessors.
As is the case with any industry, true and fair competition on a level
playing field in retail telecommunications has been a proven success in
providing consumers with the ability to choose best possible products
at the best possible price. Sadly, in Australia with a vertically
integrated Telstra whose wholesale division favours its retail arms
ahead of competitors, this is anything but the case.
It should not be left to the Australian Competition and Consumer
Commission to continually issue competition notices to Telstra each
time it is notified of an alleged breach of fair dealings with its
retail customers.
The Australian government, if it wants to be remembered for achieving
something positive instead of emitting greenhouse gases from mouths in
Canberra, should take a lead from the UK and usher in the age of the
functional separation of Telstra.
David Bass
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