ACCC proposes reducing regulation of DDAS and ISDN services

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today issued its Draft Report on declaring the Digital Data Access and Integrated Services Data Network Services and accompanying draft pricing principles with respect to the services, for comment.

The draft report concerns regulation of the DDAS and ISDN services in regional areas and proposes an extension of the declarations of these services until 30 June 2009 or a further 12 months from the expiry date of the current declaration.

The ACCC believes that both the DDAS and ISDN services are becoming outdated, legacy technologies. Since the previous review their use has declined in regional areas. Extension of the declarations for 12 months will provide an appropriate transition period for users to migrate to alternative technologies or services in regional areas.

The declarations of the DDAS and ISDN services in CBD and metropolitan areas of the capital cities were removed on 30 June 2006.

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. The service was declared in 1998.

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 was declared in 1997.

The current DDAS and ISDN service declarations expire on 30 June 2008 and under the Trade Practices Act 1974, the ACCC is required to complete its review prior to this date.

To assist its final decision, the ACCC invites comment on the draft declaration report and the draft pricing principles by 11 April 2008. The ACCC expects to issue its final decision in June 2008.

A copy of the draft declaration report and draft pricing principles will be available on the ACCC's website.