The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has published a fresh consultation paper, inviting submissions on NBN Co’s revised variation to its Special Access Undertaking (SAU).
“Many aspects of NBN Co’s variation are unchanged, so we’ll continue to take the feedback we’ve already received from stakeholders into account when considering these provisions,” ACCC Commissioner Cristina Cifuentes said.
“We are aware that NBN Co is also currently consulting with its customers on aspects of its wholesale pricing. We welcome this development.”
However, the regulator note that “if a commercial outcome cannot be achieved, the ACCC will consider whether changes to NBN Co’s pricing could be made that would promote more efficient outcomes for NBN Co, RSPs and for consumers.”
The current SAU was accepted by the ACCC in 2013. However, it only covers fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP), fixed wireless, and satellite technologies. The move by NBN Co to incorporate fibre-to-the-node, fibre-to-the-basement and hybrid fibre coaxial technologies means that a second revised SAU needs to be vetted and approved by the regulator.
The new paper comes following NBN Co’s move to withdrew its original SAU variation after it was rejected by the ACCC following consultation with interested parties.
At that time, the ACCC said that ” a number of the proposed changes would not promote the long-term interests of end users and are not reasonable.”
NBN Co submitted a revised SAU variation in June earlier this year.
The closing date for submissions on NBN Co’s revised variation is 25 August 2017.
The full version of the paper can be found on the ACCC’s website.