The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today began a review of the retail price control arrangements that apply to Telstra.

The review is being conducted under a direction made by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy.

The review's terms of reference note that it is not intended for retail price control arrangements to now be discontinued, and that the ACCC should consider, amongst other things, the design and level of possible price control arrangements to apply from July 2010 to June 2012.

The ACCC invites views from the public, to be provided by no later than 12 February 2010, on the retail price control arrangements that they consider should apply to Telstra over this period. To assist people in making a submission, an ACCC discussion paper, and a copy of the minister's direction and explanatory statement, will be available on the ACCC's website: www.accc.gov.au

The ACCC will finalise its review of these price control arrangements by 12 March 2010.