ACCC issues final report on review of transmission declaration

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today issued its final declaration report for the domestic transmission capacity service (DTCS).

In the report the ACCC has decided to vary the current declaration to exclude the capital-regional transmission routes and exchange service areas granted exemption in November 2008 as part of the ACCC's decision on Telstra's exemption applications.

The ACCC has also decided to extend the varied declaration for a period of 5 years. The ACCC considers that extending the varied declaration will promote regulatory certainty for access seekers and access providers.

The DTCS is a generic service for the carriage of voice, data or other communications using wideband or broadband carriage. The service was declared in June 1997 and varied in November 1998, May 2001 and April 2004.

Subject to the Trade Practices Act 1974, the standard access obligations (SAOs) require that an access provider, if requested by a service provider, must supply the declared service, along with specified ancillary services.

The ACCC's final report will be available on the ACCC website.