ACCC issues DDAS and ISDN declaration review discussion paper
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission announced today that it would hold a public inquiry to review the digital data access service (DDAS) and the integrated services digital network (ISDN) declarations in regional areas.
The purpose of the public inquiry is to determine whether the declaration of the ISDN and DDAS services should be re-made, extended, revoked, varied or allowed to expire. In June 2005, the ACCC continued declarations for the DDAS and ISDN services. The declarations only relate to regional areas until 30 June 2008 as the declarations in CBD and metropolitan areas expired on 30 June 2006.
A discussion paper was issued today which identifies issues relevant to the review and seeks comments on particular aspects of DDAS, ISDN and related markets and the impact of regulation on these markets. The discussion paper will be available on the ACCC's website.
To assist its decision, the ACCC is seeking submissions on its discussion paper from stakeholders and interested parties by 5pm, Friday 21 December 2007.
The ACCC expects to issue a draft report setting out its preliminary findings early in 2008.
The DDAS is an access service for the domestic carriage of data. The service can combine the use of a customer access line with management to ensure high quality data transmission. The service also includes a number of options, including the provision of higher level customer management facilities and network control.
The ISDN is used for the carriage of information such as voice, data, high quality sound, text, still images and video over the public switched telephone network (PSTN). It is a digital communications service which uses the same copper wire lines used for standard telephone services. ISDN services enable the end-user to send and receive information at faster speeds and with greater reliability than is possible using the analogue carriage service of the PSTN.
The ISDN and DDAS service declarations in regional areas only are due to expire on 30 June 2008. Under the Trade Practices Act 1974, the ACCC is required to complete its review prior to this date.
