On 11 July 2013 the ACCC commenced a combined public inquiry into making final access determinations (FADs) for a number of the fixed line services and the wholesale ADSL service (FAD inquiry).
The fixed line services are the:
- unconditioned local loop service (ULLS)
- line sharing service (LSS)
- fixed originating access service (FOAS)
- fixed terminating access service (FTAS)
- wholesale line rental (WLR)
- local carriage service (LCS)
The ACCC is consulting separately on non price terms and conditions and supplementary pricing issues for a number of declared services.
Due to the number and complexity of the pricing issues, the ACCC intends to undertake extensive consultation with industry during its inquiry. The ACCC expects that this will take most of the coming financial year. Therefore, the ACCC won't be in a position to make the new final access determinations before the existing determinations expire on 30 June 2014.
Timeline
| Stages | Date |
|---|---|
| BBM RKR information collection & disclosure notice | 13 September 2013 |
| Extension of inquiry period | 11 December 2013 |
| Receipt of preliminary submissions | 5 March 2014 |
| Extension of existing FADs | 16 April 2014 |
| Consultation on non-price terms & conditions & supplementary prices | 23 May 2014 |
| Further extension of inquiry period | 3 July 2014 |
| Consultation on primary prices | 24 July 2014 |
| Further extension of inquiry period | 12 December 2014 |
| Draft decision | 11 March 2015 |
| Request for further information | 4 June 2015 |
| Further draft decision | 29 June 2015 |
| Further extension of the inquiry period | 2 July 2015 |
| Consultation on wholesale ADSL AGVC/VLAN charge | 14 August 2015 |
| Final decision | 9 October 2015 |
| Judicial review | 5 November 2015 |
Background
This inquiry is part of the overall review of the fixed line services known as the Fixed Services Review. The ACCC is also running a related inquiry into whether to declare the fixed line services beyond the current expiry date of 31 July 2014.
The FAD inquiry will determine the terms and conditions, including price, for the fixed line services and the wholesale ADSL service, subject to the ACCC’s decision on whether to continue to regulate the currently declared fixed line services after 31 July 2014. These terms and conditions will apply where there is no commercial agreement between an access seeker and the access provider. Any FADs made will create a benchmark that the parties can fall back on when they are unable to negotiate access terms and conditions.
Related projects
Fixed line services declaration inquiry
Final access determinations for fixed line services 2011