Page 96 - SAMENA Trends - Jan-Mar 2024

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

wholesale prices and other important better than, those available on the NBN.” appointment charges for SBAS networks,
terms and conditions for retailers to Regulated monthly prices for the 25/5 and which will make it easier for households to
access the networks. The regulation will 50/20 Mbps speed tiers will give retailers switch retailers and will limit their potential
apply if the network owners and retailers greater certainty over the access costs exposure to missed appointment fees or
cannot reach satisfactory commercial they pay. Because of the benchmarking other ad hoc charges. “We’re confident
agreements. “We have made this access against equivalent NBN access costs, that our final decision strikes the right
determination so the one million or so retailers will be able to develop consistent balance between protecting the long-term
Australians who rely on these networks product offerings to consumers across all interests of consumers and allowing the
for internet at their homes or businesses networks. The changes will put downward network providers to earn the revenues
can select from a broader range of pressure on the wholesale cost to access required to continue to invest and improve
retailers and offers that can better meet the entry level 25/5 Mbps service and their networks over time,” Ms Brakey said.
their needs,” ACCC Commissioner Anna the popular 50/20 Mbps service. The The new access determination will come
Brakey said. “The final regulation we’ve ACCC expects the regulated price terms into force on 1 September 2024 and apply
settled on contains specific price terms, for the 50/20 Mbps speed tier will also until 1 March 2027. The ACCC consulted
benchmarked against NBN Co’s pricing, constrain wholesale prices for higher extensively with the SBAS providers,
that will enable consumers and businesses speed tiers. The access determination retailers, industry, and consumer groups
to find retail offers that are similar to, or will also regulate connection, transfer, and throughout its inquiry.

Telefonica Chief Likens API Impact to Roaming

Jose Maria Alvarez-Pallete, President and CEO of Telefonica,
argued the GSMA Open Gateway API initiative could unlock
billions in fresh revenue for operators, delivering an impact not felt
since the introduction of roaming almost 40 years ago. The
operator executive and GSMA chair told Mobile World Live the
move to open APIs to developers is a no-brainer because it uses
elements of 5G and fiber networks which already exist, meaning
there is little to no cost involved. He believes there is a “massive
market” for operators willing to take a leap of faith, explaining
exposing the capabilities of networks “in a standardized manner
is relatively simple” if there is agreement among service providers.
Alvarez-Pallete noted when operators collaborated on roaming 37
years ago, “we changed the world”, predicting the Open Gateway
initiative would have the same impact. Figures released by the
GSMA during MWC Barcelona 2024 show the initiative is gathering the end of the day, exposing the capabilities of this thing to
pace, with 47 operator groups already on board. Alvarez-Pallete everybody to make sure that we are able to monetize elements of
noted fiber and 5G are no-longer simply telecommunications the network” operators are “building anyhow”, means they can
networks, instead effectively being “something much more exploit those to generate revenue.
powerful, some massively decentralized supercomputer”. “So at

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