Comms Tsar Backs Telstra On Copper Deal Price Cut


	Late last month the ACCC issued a new draft determination on pricing for the declared fixed-line services, revealing it wanted to lump Telstra with a 9.6 percent drop in wholesale fixed-line prices, compared to the 0.7 percent drop the Communications Department had previously proposed. Telstra has argued for a 7.2 percent increase in the charges to account for rising costs resulting from users churning off its network and onto the NBN. But in a submission to the ACCC, Comms “encouraged” the ACCC to revisit its decision, given the impact it could have on the sector. Communications secretary Drew Clarke said the decision would affect price stability in the telco industry and negatively impact the transition to the NBN. “The department is concerned that the proposed price decrease for fixed-line services will discourage migration through the migration window and could lead to a significant number of customers remaining on the old network in the lead-up to the disconnection date,” he said.