<< Return to previous page | Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Committee

Note: This page contains links to PDF files. For more information, see the web page on Accessing files.

View the report as a single document - (PDF 1159KB)

View the report as separate downloadable parts:

Committee membership	(PDF 158KB)
Terms of Reference	(PDF 118KB)
List of Tables & Figures	(PDF 86KB)
Recommendations	(PDF 128KB)
Abbreviations	(PDF 117KB)
Chapter 1 - Background to the inquiry	(PDF 129KB)
Conduct of the inquiry Outline of the report Acknowledgements Note on references in this report
Chapter 2 - The telecommunications environment	(PDF 315KB)
Regulatory overview Access Competition The need for a review Telecommunications as an essential social service The pending sale and privatisation of Telstra Telecommunication services in rural and regional areas Poor quality of telecommunications services The need for high speed telecommunications Future services to rural and regional areas Future investment in the telecommunications network Conclusion
Chapter 3 - Competition	(PDF 314KB)
The current regulatory regime Part XIB - anti-competitive conduct Part IV – anti-competitive conduct Comparison of Part IV and Part XIB Accounting separation and record-keeping rules Anti-competitive behaviour: a case study Part XIB: lessons learnt Defining abuse of market power Proving decreased competition – the effectiveness of accounting separation Difficulty in mounting a legal case Flaws in the process Financial penalties Impact on smaller players The ACCC's powers Telstra's response The Committee's view Telstra's relationship with its wholesale customers Competitors' capacity to roll out infrastructure Telstra's deployment of services into regions once a competitor has rolled out infrastructure Aggressive pricing practices Churning customers from the Telstra network The unrecoverable costs of dealing with Telstra Managing customer problems on the Telstra network ADSL on Telstra lines Conclusion
Chapter 4 - Access	(PDF 290KB)
Introduction The legislative framework The policy intention Declaration of services Standard access obligations Conditions of access Model terms – core services Price of access Ordinary and anticipatory exemptions from SAOs Special access undertakings Key issues The process of declaring services Inherent delays in the regime Regulatory gaming and delay Impediments other than access price Facility sharing Pricing issues Declaration, investment and regulatory ‘safe harbours’ 'Dark fibre' Conclusion
Chapter 5 - Consumer issues	(PDF 330KB)
The framework for consumer protection Universal Service Regime Digital Data Service Obligation (DDSO) Customer Service Guarantee DCITA Review 2004 The CSG The USO DDSO delivery arrangements Criticism of services under the USO The standard telephone service Costing and funding of the USO Contestability arrangements Expanding the USO Support for the inclusion of broadband in the USO Voice over internet protocol (VoIP) Hearing and speech impaired customers The HiBIS model Evidence about the CSG Unfair consumer contracts and Standard Forms of Agreement Industry codes and standards The legislative framework Criticism of the codes process Meeting consumer expectations Involvement of consumers The Consumer Driven Communications Report The Consumer Contracts Industry Code Compliance Dispute resolution – the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman The main issues facing the TIO Billing complaints Possible solutions in complaints resolution Other issues Price controls and low income customers Remote Indigenous communities Emergency call service Conclusion
Chapter 6 - A blueprint for the future	(PDF 378KB)
The structure of Telstra: achieving greater transparency Structural separation Operational separation Application of models to other competitors The Committee's view The ACCC Penalties Other powers Resources The TPA: Part XIB and section 46 The TPA: Part XIC Foxtel and the HFC Investment in infrastructure Meeting consumer demands The Universal Service Obligation Broadband Broadband options People with hearing and speech impairment The Customer Service Guarantee Consumer protection Complaint handling and code compliance Low income consumers The Emergency Call Service
Government Members' Dissenting Report	(PDF 198KB)
Recommendations which Government Senators reject Separation of Telstra Broadband infrastructure The Universal Service Obligation Broadband infrastructure, including the Higher Bandwidth Incentive Scheme The Estens Report Consumer issues Recommendations supported in principle
Appendix 1 - Submissions and Tabled Documents	(PDF 156KB)
Submissions Tabled Documents
Appendix 2 - Public Hearings	(PDF 124KB)

For further information, contact:

Committee Secretary
Senate Environment, Communications, Information Technology and the Arts Committee
Department of the Senate
PO Box 6100
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Australia

Phone:	+61 2 6277 3526
Fax:	+61 2 6277 5818
Email:	ecita.sen@aph.gov.au

Comments to: web.senate@aph.gov.au
Last reviewed 10 August 2005 by the Senate Web Administrator
© Commonwealth of Australia
Parliament of Australia Web Site Privacy Statement
Images courtesy of AUSPIC