Australia - Industry - Wholesale Services - 1990s - 2003

Synopsis

This report traces the development of wholesale services in Australia (both voice and data) – from their half-hearted beginnings, through the telco crisis, to the pricing problems and weak competitive environment of the present day. It examines the effect of regulations on the telecommunications wholesale sector and discusses the ACCC’s handling of the unbundling of the local loop. The report looks at the wholesale services provided by Telstra and Optus, as well as those of 2nd-tier wholesalers such as AAPT, PowerTel, MCI (WorldCom), FlowCom and Chime Communications. Wholesale revenue statistics are supplied.

Table of Contents

• 1. Synopsis
• 2. Wholesale market analysis – mid-2003
• 3. Regulation-driven developments in the wholesale market
• 4. National PSTN services
  • 4.1 Domestic PSTN originating and terminating service
  • 4.2 Traditional (voice) wholesale market softening
• 5. Historical overview of the wholesale market in Australia
  • 5.1 Mobile wholesale
• 6. Wholesale revenues in Australia
• 7. Wholesale margins
• 8. ACCC monitoring wholesale services
• 9. Unbundled Local Loop
• 10. Key players
  • 10.1 Wholesale services from Optus
  • 10.2 Optus sells to Telstra
  • 10.3 Wholesale services from Telstra
    • 10.3.1 Early initiatives
    • 10.3.2 New price structures (early 2003)
  • 10.4 Second-tier wholesalers
    • 10.4.1 AAPT
    • 10.4.2 PowerTel
    • 10.4.3 MCI (WorldCom)
    • 10.4.4 FlowCom
    • 10.4.5 Chime Communications (WA)
  • 10.5 Bandwidth exchange
• 11. Dark fibre

• Table 1 – Revenue shares from domestic PSTN originating and terminating service – 2001-02
• Table 2 – GSM originating and terminating access – revenue share by carrier – 2001-02
• Table 3 – Wholesale market revenues by supplier (fixed/mobile) – 1997 – 2004
• Table 4 – Business and Residential Wholesale Margins by product- 2003
• Table 5 – Wholesale margins by industry group – 1996 - 2003

• Exhibit 1 - How ATX operates