Telstra Anti-Competitive Again

Lindsay Tanner - Shadow Minister for Communications

Media Statement - 21 March 2002

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has again acted to halt anti-competitive behaviour by Telstra.

The ACCC has found that Telstra has refused to provide access to particular ADSL technology to its wholesale customers for over a year, even though it is now being used by Telstra Retail.

The Government's regulatory regime is clearly failing to inhibit Telstra from using its monopoly position to advantage Telstra Retail at the expense of its competitors.

Although there are avenues for competitors to pursue, they sometimes take years, and in the meantime Telstra has an unfair advantage, the competitor faces mounting costs, and technology changes. In this case, competitors have had to wait for over a year before even initial remedial action is taken.

This is further evidence that the regulatory regime is complicated and cumbersome. It's about time the Minister addressed the deficiencies in his telecommunications regime, and ensured that we have genuine competition and innovation in telecommunications.