Telstra faces stiff penalty for holding up competitors' DSL rollouts

Telstra's forced break up by the Australian government is only one problem the incumbent carrier is facing these days. Now, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) filed a suit alleging that Telstra held up the rollout of competitors' ADSL networks.

In a suit that will be heard by the Federal Court in Melbourne, ACCC argues that Telstra prevented competitors from rolling out ADSL networks because it apparently said it did not have necessary space in local telephone exchanges to accommodate their DSLAM equipment.

Telstra could face up to $9.23 million in fines where it is proven they violated the rules. However, this initial fine could be a lot more as the ACCC's case includes 30 separate claims that Telstra prevented competitors from accessing their exchanges.  

For more:
- TeleGeography has this article

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