The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has called on the National Broadband Network (NBN) to reduce its prices, declaring it to be unaffordable for consumers on low incomes.
Chair of the ACCC, Rod Sims said basic NBN plans were at least $10 per month more expensive than their ADSL equivalents.
“The ACCC attributes this to new NBN Co wholesale pricing introduced in the past six months,” Ms Sims said.
“There is a fundamental question of fairness here for those on low incomes.”
He said the ACCC believed NBN Co’s entry-level services should be anchored to existing ADSL pricing.”
He said this was only fair to consumers because they had no choice but to move to the NBN as their existing services were being withdrawn.
“More importantly, consumers that already want the higher speeds that the NBN makes possible also stand to benefit from pricing that reflects the additional value,” Mr Sims said.
He also stressed the importance of the ACCC’s current wholesale service standards inquiry, which aims to bring about improvements in the time taken by NBN Co to connect new customers and fix faults, and to keep or provide compensation for missing scheduled appointments.
Meanwhile, the Government has acknowledged the Network’s tenth anniversary saying 99 per cent of Australian premises were now in design, construction or able to order a service.
Mr Sims’ full speech can be accessed at this PS News link.
