NBN Co has released more details on its wholesale pricing for companies looking to resell its services over the National Broadband Network (NBN). The telco also released its discussion paper on the planned special access undertaking (SAU) for price setting and cost recovery.
In the third edition of its wholesale broadband agreement (WBA), NBN Co outlined it would keep basic access prices for each line at $24 a month for approved partners, such as Internode who recently revealed its NBN pricing and Telstra who came to a definitive agreement with NBN Co in June.
NBN Co head of product development and sales, Jim Hassell, said in a statement that the third edition of the WBA was released to give customers an opportunity to "consider and discuss" the substance of the agreements prior to publication as a standard form of access agreement for the purposes of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 in September this year.
The WBA outlines the arrangements for the delivery of commercial services over the NBN, which encompasses services levels, technical information, credit policies and NBN Co's fibre access service.
In addition, the SAU discussion paper released this week outlines the longer-term approach to price setting and cost recovery.
It sets out a 30-year plan for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to regulate the NBN, including five-year review periods. The SAU also sets out NBN Co’s commitments in reporting to the ACCC.
NBN Co principal of regulatory affairs, Caroline Lovell, said the WBA and SAU were designed to be complementary.
"The intention is that the SAU sets out binding commitments on key price and non-price matters, giving customers certainty in respect of these principles," she said in a statement.
"We are seeking response to the SAU discussion paper by 19 August. Any feedback will be incorporated into a draft SAU that will be publicly released before submitting it to the ACCC."
Hassell added that as the SAU approval process will take some time, it has incorporated some of the key customer protections it contains into the WBA.
"These will remain in the WBA until either the SAU is accepted by the ACCC, or in the absence of an accepted SAU, by 30 June 2017."
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