Australia: Telstra’s fight to keep mobile network to itself

Australia’s telecos finally got back to what they do best this week – publicly sledging each other over competition issues.

No wonder the gloves are off. The competition watchdog sent shockwaves through the sector last month when it launched an inquiry into domestic mobile roaming services – including the crucial question of whether Telstra should be forced to share its prized regional network with its competitors at commercial rates.

For Telstra’s rivals, Vodafone and TPG, the action by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission represents a prime opportunity to prise open Telstra’s lock on mobile signals around Australia and its unrivalled status as the offerer of Australia’s biggest network. For Telstra, it represents a threat so stark that it is mobilising its army of 1.4 million retail shareholders and laying out battle plans.

It is a fight that is pitting a big one-time monopoly against smaller upstarts, and retail shareholders against regional customers. And it is now threatening to spill over into the political realm.

Full Content: Canberra Times

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