Page 78 - SAMENA Trends - November-December 2021

WHOLESALE UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

ACCC Publishes Latest NBN Wholesale Indicators Report

The Australian Competition and Consumer subscribers to tariffs offering maximum customers on promotional offers returning
Commission (ACCC) has revealed that downlink speeds of either 50Mbps or to their previous speed tiers’. Meanwhile,
there are now more than 8.5 million fixed 100Mbps services. Of that figure, around with regards to a breakdown of access
broadband subscriptions connected via 150,000 were reported to be subscriptions types being used to connect, the ACCC’s
the National Broadband Network (NBN), that were upgraded from entry level plans, quarterly report confirmed that fiber-to-
of which 75% are signed up to a service which offer speeds of either 12Mbps or the-note (FTTN) continued to account for
with download speeds of at least 50Mbps. 25Mbps. However, the ACCC did also reveal the largest portion of NBN subscriptions.
In publishing its latest ‘NBN Wholesale that the number of subscriptions on a plan A total of 3.090 million subscriptions
Market Indicators Report’, the regulator offering speeds of 100Mbps or more had were connected via that technology at
noted that in the three months ended 30 declined by around 195,000 – to 455,720 end-September, up from 3.006 million a
September 2021 retail service providers from 651,267 at mid-2021 – with the drop year earlier, while HFC-based accesses
(RSPs) signed up a combined 450,000 attributed to ‘the scaling back of NBN Co’s represented the next largest slice of the
residential and business fixed broadband ‘Focus on Fast’ promotion, which saw pie – 1.955 million, up from 1.812 million
at 30 September 2020. Finally, in terms of
the market share of RSPs offering services
via the NBN, the ACCC noted that Aussie
Broadband had continued to make ‘strong
gains’, with that provider accounting for
almost one third of the wholesale services
added in Q3 2021, lifting its market share
to 5.1%. Superloop was also said to have
increased its share in the quarter, and after
acquiring Exetel in August 2021 now has
the sixth highest market share at 1.5%.
Telstra, however, remains ahead of the
pack, accounting for 44.3% of all NBN-
based subscriptions at 30 September
2021, down from 45.7% a year earlier.
Commenting on the inroads being made
by smaller providers, meanwhile, ACCC
Commissioner Anna Brakey said: ‘Smaller
niche providers have injected competition
into the market for broadband services and
they now go some way to constraining the
big four of Telstra, TPG, Optus and Vocus.
Smaller providers give consumers real
choice in the service quality and range of
products to meet their needs.’

Nkom Finalizes Price Regulation for Telenor Norge’s Wholesale Fixed

Wireless Broadband Service

Norway’s National Communications Surveillance Authority (ESA) last month, mean that the buyer of access is not put in
Authority (Nasjonal kommunikas- the watchdog has now revealed that the a margin squeeze – with this taking effect
jonsmyndighet, Nkom) has announced a ESA has responded to this, confirming immediately. To ensure the obligation is
final decision related to the price regulation that no changes were required. As such, complied with, meanwhile, Nkom notes
of Telenor Norge’s wholesale fixed- Nkom has issued its final decision – which that it will conduct margin squeeze tests
wireless broadband service. Having sent requires that Telenor must offer wholesale and gross margin tests on the operator’s
a draft decision on the matter to the EFTA fixed-wireless broadband at prices which retail fixed-wireless offerings twice a year.

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