Telstra has attacked the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), claiming the consumer watchdog's latest proposal to publish indicative telecommunication wholesale pricing is merely a bid to "remain relevant".

The ACCC has called for comment on a discussion paper that seeks to set standard pricing for a number of voice telecommunication services.

"The concern is they're trying to inflame dispute where no disputes exist," Telstra spokesperson Rod Bruem told ZDNet Australia. He went on to criticise the timing of the proposal, saying the ACCC is jumping the gun by releasing this paper before the government released legislation.

"We feel the ACCC is trying to make itself relevant," said Bruem. "There hasn't been a dispute in relation to telephony for over a year. [The ACCC is] trying to create conflict where no conflict exists."

The proposed ACCC paper looks at Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), Unconditioned Local Loop Services (ULLS) and Local Carriage Services (LCS) in a bid to determine how indicative prices could be revealed.

Professor Allan Fels, chairman of the ACCC, said in a statement he hoped publishing indicative access prices would assist in creating a more open and transparent telecommunications industry.

Ewan Brown, executive director of Small Enterprise Telecommunications Centre Limited (SETEL), an association which represents the interests of small business consumers of telecommunications, told ZDNet Australia it hasn't yet reviewed the paper, but is supportive of the move.

"Greater transparency will allow people to see how firm the prices are and how realistic," said Brown. "The incumbent carrier can change wholesale prices overnight, putting pressure on downstream suppliers because customers may see new deals come after they've locked themselves into a reasonably long term contract."

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