Submission to ACCC Fixed Line Telecommunications Services Declaration Inquiry

Commpete supports the continuation of the declarations to June 30, 2024 as proposed by the ACCC. We do so for the following reasons. Continued Relevance of Copper Network Telstra, as the owner of the legacy copper network, has the ability and the incentive to discriminate against access seekers requiring access to its network. This market power pertains to each customer connected to the network. The rollout of the NBN is reducing the relevance of the legacy copper network, as individual services are migrated, as expected in 2014. The ACCC also anticipated in 2014 the legacy access network would continue to be relevant through the period of the NBN rollout. Experience since has proved this judgment correct. Subsequent events make clear the copper today is in fact more relevant than was anticipated.