Consultation on Required Measure 5(D)9 Feb 2017
On 9 February 2017, Telstra provided the ACCC with a proposed Required Measure 5(D).
Required Measure 5(D) details the proposed process Telstra will use for the managed disconnection of direct Special Services and Special Service Inputs covered by NBN Co’s White Papers 3 and 4 – for Covered Access Service Families.
Telstra Covered Access Service Families encompasses six connecting carriage services providing customers with data access, data transmission and voice services.
| White Paper 3 Products | White Paper 4 Products |
|---|---|
|
DDS Fastway |
Frame Relay |
|
Data Access Radial |
ISDN2 |
| Megalink | ISDN10/20/30 |
Required Measure 5(D) was developed after Telstra announced a national product exit for the services on 20 September 2016. Telstra’s product exit announcement comes as a result of obsolescence issues, declining support from vendors, and a lack of availability of spare parts. The Special Service Disconnection Dates are 31 May 2019 for products covered by White Paper 3, and 30 September 2019 for products covered by White Paper 4.
Excluding the Final Sunset Exit, Required Measure 5(D) only applies where these services are supplied to premises to which NBN Co will deliver services using fibre to the premises, fibre to the basement or fibre to the node.
Special Services (and Special Service Inputs) are generally business services delivered over Telstra’s copper network for which a replacement product was not initially available over the National Broadband Network (NBN). For this reason, Special Services are disconnected during the course of the NBN rollout on a different timetable to the ‘region by region’ disconnection process used for standard voice and broadband services. An extended timeframe for disconnection has been provided for Special Services in order to allow time for replacement product functionality to be developed.
Telstra is currently consulting with its wholesale customers and NBN Co on the proposed measure. Should wholesale customers have any concerns arising from the Required Measure, we encourage them to engage with Telstra directly to make their views known. Consultation closes on 9 March 2017.
On the conclusion of the consultation, Telstra is obliged under the Migration Plan to update the ACCC on the consultation and identify any changes made as a result of consultation. The ACCC is not required to approve Telstra’s proposed Required Measure 5(D) but may object to it if it is not compliant with the Migration Plan Principles.