Nov 09 26
Is wholesale-only backhaul just a pipedream?
Posted by Phil Dobbie @ 13:55 0 comments
Play or download the Twisted Wire podcast below:
The potential acquisition of Pipe Networks by SP Telemedia has raised the question about whether vertically integrated backhaul providers will mean higher wholesale prices for ISP customers.
Some, including economist Joshua Gans, believe it could be bad news. Others, like Netspace's Matthew Phillips, are also concerned but will wait and see what impact it has. Meanwhile, over the ditch, Kordia's Susie Stone says all backbone providers in New Zealand have their own retail operations. So what are we worried about?
Pipe Networks has focused on major capacity links in high traffic areas. Whether they become part of a retailer or not, the impact will not be as pronounced as it would in regional areas where little or no competition exists. Here Telstra is often the only backhaul provider, although the government has called for tenders for alternate providers. The influence of vertically integrated providers here is much more influential.
Should the NBN include many, if not all, backhaul links in its network? The involvement of the NBN in the provision of backhaul still seems a little fluid. Universal coverage of backhaul by the NBN would ensure that a guaranteed wholesale-only provider will exist on all routes to minimise the likelihood of vertically integrated providers inflating wholesale prices.
With their views on the Pipe acquisition and the extent of backhaul competition in Australia you'll hear from:
- Matthew Phillips, Regulatory and Carrier Affairs manager for Netspace
- Susie Stone, GM of Strategic Development at Kordia
- Joshua Gans, economist from Melbourne Business School
Bevan Slattery from Pipe Networks declined an invitation to participate in this week's Twisted Wire.
Nov 09 19
Can complaints on mobile content be cut?
Posted by Phil Dobbie @ 13:34 1 comments
The Mobile Premium Service Industry has a poor track record. There were 15,653 complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman last year. It's a scourge according to Alan Asher from the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network. ...Read more
Nov 09 12
Can the Telco Reform Act be win-win?
Posted by Phil Dobbie @ 13:19 2 comments
In the second of our two programs looking at the Senate Inquiry into the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment Bill, we hear from shareholders, bureaucrats and industry groups. ...Read more
Nov 09 5
Do we need the legislative blackmail?
Posted by Phil Dobbie @ 12:39 8 comments
The Senate Standing Committee Inquiry into the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment has already come out and said that it thinks the proposed changes to the structure of the industry are a good thing. ...Read more
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