ACCC sets interim prices for backhaul

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued interim price and non-price terms for access to regulated transmission services that connect telco infrastructure across the country.

The ACCC received new powers under telco legislation last year.

Previously, if carriers could not agree on terms of access to a declared service, one of the involved parties could bring an access dispute to the ACCC. The ACCC would then arbitrate. As this system wasn't considered to be working, the new legislation (which became effective 1 January 2011) allows the ACCC to set up-front prices and non-price terms for declared services where access seekers aren't already in a commercial agreement.

The ACCC has benchmarked current competitive transmission services to determine prices for transmission services and has provided a list of prices for inter-capital and inter-exchange ethernet and SDH (synchronous digital hierarchy) services based on distance covered and capacity.

The ACCC said that it expected prices to change as the market developed, and said that it would look to further input from stakeholders before the final access determinations are made.

It has already set interim determinations for fixed-line services to premises.

The interim determinations will expire on 30 December 2011.