The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has today issued a report outlining its views on the further public release of telecommunications information.
The ACCC can require public disclosure of information collected via the telecommunications record-keeping rules.
The record-keeping rules allow the ACCC to improve the integrity and transparency of the information provided to it by carriers. These rules have been used to develop a regulatory accounting framework under which carriers Telstra, Optus, Vodafone, AAPT and Primus report on a regular basis. Record-keeping rules are also used for specific purposes such as the monitoring of the roll-out of ADSL services by Telstra.
The report outlines the ACCC’s proposal to require the regular release of basic "market indicator" information. This information includes the release of revenue, usage, market share and market growth information for a range of retail and wholesale telecommunications services.
"A final ACCC decision on whether to release this information will occur after a statutory consultation process with telecommunications carriers", Commissioner responsible for telecommunications, Mr Ross Jones, said. "However, it would appear that release of this information will improve the transparency of ACCC decision-making. It will also assist stakeholders in making submissions to the ACCC on such matters as the development of competition in telecommunications markets.
"Some information is already available in annual reports and other public documents. However, this proposal would mean that a comprehensive industry-wide set of authoritative data about market developments would be publicly available.
"Importantly, it will complement the Government's plans to implement a more comprehensive accounting separation regime for Telstra".
The report also provides general guidelines concerning the factors the ACCC will generally consider when deciding whether information obtained under the record-keeping rules should be publicly released. The ACCC's consideration of whether to release such information may follow a request from an interested person.
The final report follows the release of a draft report in August 2002. The final report is available on the ACCC website at www.accc.gov.au.