ACCC rejects another Telstra undertaking

Yet another Telstra undertaking has felt the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission's (ACCC) rejection.

This time Telstra's proposals for other carriers to interconnect with its analog and digital mobile networks have been dumped by the industry watchdog.

The undertakings concern mobile interconnection for Optus and Vodafone customers on Telstra's networks.

In what has been described by ACCC senior commissioner for telecommunications Michael Cosgrave as fairly "low key", the ACCC has rejected the proposals as "not reasonable" based on the non-price terms and conditions in the undertakings. The terms and conditions are exactly the same as those the ACCC rejected in a recent draft determination regarding interconnection with Telstra's fixed telephony network.

In fixed telephony determination, the ACCC claimed Telstra's interconnection charges need to be halved to reach an acceptable level.

The draft determination on the mobile services is available on the ACCC's Web site (www.accc.gov.au) and the ACCC is seeking comment until March 19.