ACCC gives thumbs up to TPG's NBN fibre-to-the-basement raids

Australia's Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC) has to do nothing about junior telco TPG's plans to compete with the nation's government-mandated monopoly telephony network provider NBN Co, but is still pondering whether other telecoms retailers should be allowed to resell services running on TPG's infrastructure. TPG …

[kartstar]

I'm not sure if this is ultimately a good thing for the state of broadband in Australia, especially if TPG are allowed the monopoly over customers who they have fibre to the basement running to. However, as a resident of Pyrmont, living in an apartment block, I sure hope they choose my apartment block next!

On a possibly related note, I've noticed my TPG ADSL2+ connection here get MUCH faster over the last month or so. The sync speed used to be about 4,000 but it's now sitting up at 10,000! I wonder if this is due to people being brought online with this fibre service and the reduced congestion? It could also be related to the new data centre built down the road from my residence.

[Fluffy Bunny]

1. TPG have no monopoly on provision of broadband services to those appartments. The have put their own fiber in, other vendors are allowed to put their own fibre in as well. Yes, there is duplication of infrastructure, but the consumers benefit from the competition pushing prices down and services up.

2. There are several reasons your connection speed may have gone up so much, such as installing a local node nearby (as opposed to connecting all the way to the exchange), or even servicing the copper wires (something Telstra appears not to know how to do).

[RealFred]

This is how it should have been. Rather than having a monopoly or duopoly with the two carriers not giving a rats arse about their customers, we suddenly have a third company that will create some real competition. I'll bet Telstra's service improved radically in the area and hopefully prices will drop.