ACCC approves Telstra’s variation to NBN Migration Plan

0

news The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has approved Telstra’s variation to the Migration Plan, which is aimed to further protect customers and maintain services as the firm shifts to the national broadband network.

The plan, which commenced in February, spells out the way in which Telstra will progressively migrate voice and broadband services from its copper and hybrid-fibre coaxial (HFC) networks to the NBN fixed-line network as it is rolled out.

“The changes to the Migration Plan offer further safeguards for telecommunications customers so they can maintain access to the services they value during migration to the NBN, provided they have submitted their NBN order in time,” said ACCC Chairman Rod Sims.

“These changes will allow retail service providers more time to complete their migration activities before managed disconnection, and are intended to promote a more positive experience for customers as they move to NBN services,” he said.

According to the ACCC, the altered plan provides for “improved” disconnection arrangements based on “current, practical experience” of migrating services to the multi-technology mix NBN. It further includes changes to allow for the migration of business services by NBN access technology.

“The ACCC welcomes the preparedness of Telstra, NBN Co and other service providers to identify where additional flexibility is needed in the Migration Plan, and encourages them to continue to identify improvements that will benefit both household and business customers,” said Sims.

The ACCC said its role in approving the variation to the plan was limited to assessing whether the change is consistent with the legislative requirements. The ACCC does not have remit to seek improvements beyond these requirements, it added.

Yesterday Delimiter wrote about how the ACCC is inviting feedback on a proposed variation to the way NBN Co provides services over the national broadband network.

The company’s remit is set out in a Special Access Undertaking (SAU) – part of the framework for governing prices and other terms by which NBN Co will provide services to retailers until 2040.

According to the ACCC, the primary changes would be to incorporate fibre-to-the-node (FTTN), fibre-to-the-basement (FTTB) and hybrid-fibre coaxial technologies (HFC) into the SAU.

Image credit: Telstra