Households on the NBN are being provided with the same speed internet speeds as their old ADSL connections and paying more for the service, the ACCC says.
The National Broadband Network has been plagued with constant criticisms, delays and problems since the national roll out began 2009.
And 10 years on, more than a million households are forking out too much for the lowest cost plans, compared to their old ADSL plans.
‘We are now observing prices of low-speed NBN plans offered to new customers that are at least $10 per month higher than what consumers paid for equivalent ADSL plans,’ ACCC boss Rod Sims said on Monday.
It comes as the disastrous National Broadband Network has been plagued with constant criticisms, delays and problems throughout it’s national roll out
‘There is a fundamental question of fairness here for those on low incomes.’
Mr Sims warned NBN Co was failing to deliver on its promise of faster and more affordable broadband.
‘We also believe NBN Co’s entry-level services should be anchored to existing ADSL pricing. This is only fair to consumers because they have no choice but to move to the NBN as their existing services are being withdrawn,’ he said.
‘But more importantly, consumers that already want the higher speeds that the NBN makes possible also stand to benefit from pricing that reflects the additional value.’
Optus wants to have more control in how the NBN is rolled out, arguing that some households would benefit from connecting its own 5G network
But Optus’ chief executive, Allen Lew, says he has a solution to benefit consumers.
Mr Lew, wants telco workers to be able to install and maintain the network which is now available to 75 percent of Aussie homes and businesses.
‘This would be a win-win for customers and NBN Co,’ Mr Lew told an industry conference in Sydney on Monday.
‘The NBN certainly could well be a time bomb but, as an industry, we have the power to work collaboratively with NBN Co to put out the fuse before the inevitable happens.’
Mr Lew also claimed that 5G could bring affordable gigabit speeds quickly to households, where extending fibre or upgrading copper is in the works.
NBN Co CEO, Bill Morrow, speaking at the industry conference in Sydney on Monday
‘Customers would get access to faster speeds through the latest technology and NBN Co avoids the capital to upgrade part of its network to achieve ultra-high-speed services.’
The Optus boss says 5G fixed wireless service options should be introduced into the NBN mix where existing service may be limited.
There are currently 600,000 premises connected to the NBN’s 4G fixed wireless service but NBN Co has no plan to spread services more widely.
About 8.77 million homes and businesses in Australia are ready to connect to the NBN as of March 28.
Chief executive, Allen Lew, wants telco workers to be able to install and maintain the network which is now available to 75 percent of Aussie homes and businesses
The remaining three million premises are scheduled to be ready to connect by the end of 2020.
Mr Lew also urged NBN Co to follow hardware providers Ericsson, Nokia and Cisco in training Optus to service and install their equipment.
He claimed that customers are confused by the hand-off between sub-contractors, NBN Co and retail service providers, such as Optus and Telstra.
‘Customer engagement becomes simpler when they only have one organisation providing their service,’ he said.
Optus says it will have 1200 5G sites across Canberra and all mainland states by March 2020
Optus says it will have 1200 5G sites across Canberra and all mainland states by March 2020.
But the coalition is standing by the disastrous NBN roll out, claiming that it would have been more expensive under a Labor government.
‘NBN will be completed by 2020, six to eight years sooner and at $30 billion less cost than Labor’ approach,’ Communications Minister, Mitch Fifield, told the Australian.
NBN Co recorded $1.3 billion in revenue in the second half of 2018, 46 per cent up on the last six months of 2017.