A new regulatory framework for the NBN is a key priority for the ACCC this year
A new regulatory model for Australia’s National Broadband Network is one step closer after a roundtable brought together NBN Co, broadband retailers, industry groups, consumer representatives and government. The roundtable is the start of a collaborative process to develop a revised long-term regulatory framework for the NBN. The ACCC called the roundtable after NBN Co announced it would be seeking to revise its special access undertaking, which is a key part of the regulation that governs the prices NBN Co can charge retailers. Pricing dominated the roundtable (details available in the pre-roundtable framing paper), including measures to support access and affordability, particularly for low income consumers. The core issue being the switch from usage-based pricing to flat-pricing. The NBN is resisting such a switch, warning that more than a million on low data plans would see price hikes, and it adversely impacting the vulnerable. The ACCC is due to publish a summary of the discussions.
