Regulator's assent on public benefit grounds marks another milestone for NBN project

NBN Co today welcomed final authorisation by the ACCC of its agreement with Optus to migrate Optus' HFC subscribers to the National Broadband Network (NBN) as it is rolled out. As migration progresses, Optus will decommission parts of the HFC network.

The agreement was announced last June, subject to conditions precedent including authorisation by the ACCC. The agreement is now unconditional.
NBN CEO Mike Quigley said the regulator's authorisation was the latest in a series of commercial, operational, policy and construction milestones that underpinned the progress of the NBN.

“The migration of Optus' cable customers supports the NBN's business case and confirms the network as the cornerstone of Australia's digital communications future.

“The fixed network of the future provides national coverage which is wholesale-only, open-access, and available to any retail service provider on non-discriminatory terms. This marks a shift from the past where a number of companies used their resources to duplicate network access infrastructure.

“The NBN is expected to facilitate further competition in the retail market, and we are already seeing positive signs of this with over 40 telephone and internet retail service providers signed up as customers of NBN Co.

“With NBN Co offering the underlying technology platform across Australia to all retail service providers on a non-discriminatory basis, it enables these companies to concentrate their investments on developing new and innovative products and services, leading to flow-on benefits for families and businesses.

“Today's final decision by the ACCC marks a further move towards a new industry structure in which open access to the NBN will allow any telecommunications and internet service provider the opportunity to offer a service to any customer via either fibre, fixed wireless or satellite,” Mr Quigley said.

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About NBN Co
NBN Co is a government business enterprise formed in 2009 to design, build and operate the national broadband network (NBN). The aim of the NBN is to enable high-speed broadband to be delivered to all Australian households, businesses and enterprises through a combination of fibre to the premise, fixed wireless and satellite. NBN Co is operating a wholesale-only, open-access network, and making its wholesale services available to retail service providers on non-discriminatory terms. This is expected to facilitate further development of competition in the retail telecommunication market. For more information, please visit: www.nbnco.com.au

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