ACCC Casts Spotlight on NBN CVC, Enterprise Ethernet

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission are eyeing new record-keeping measures, and a proposed revamp encompassing NBN record-keeping rules could see the commission collecting data on CVC overage. The aggregated data will be released as part of the commission’s quarterly NBN Wholesale Market Indicators Report.

With the proposal, ACCC will be able to acquire more data on CVC purchase and utilisation. It will also compel NBN Co to provide the regulator with sufficient data on its Enterprise Ethernet and business satellite products.

However, this doesn’t end there since another group of recommendations in the proposal could force NBN Co to provide the commission with relevant data when it comes to the former’s performance with meeting service standards. This includes any related rebates it has to pay to RSPs. ACCC said that though some of the data collected will be kept, there are some that could be released for public consumption.

According to the commission, CVC overage is “an important element of the costs of access seekers” purchasing Traffic Class 4 services from NBN Co. “An overage liability can influence access seekers’ cost structures and their end-user product features and pricing,” the ACCC noted.

Some of the data covered in the report include access seekers’ billing cycles, the overage quantity in Mbps, the amount payable, national ordered bandwidth, and national included bandwidth. The regulator also suggested some other changes, including making public some of the massive amounts of CVC data it currently obtains from NBN Co.

According to the proposal: “The ACCC considers that publication of some of this currently confidential data is likely to improve competition and ensure a high level of transparency.” The report publication could be either at a national level or the level of an RSP. In addition to this, the regulator may also release CVC utilisation data that access seeker or POI can break down.

As part of NBN Co’s record-keeping obligations, the commission already receives data about the Traffic Class-2 products. SMBs often use these products, but not Enterprise Ethernet services. With the proposal made by the commission, the regulator would also offer insight into the relative market share of RSPs in the space through the collection of data by access speaker, service category, and speed tier.

“The ACCC considers that some public reporting of Enterprise Ethernet SIOs may promote competition. It may also assist other related regulatory processes, for example through the publication of nationally aggregated SIO information or more detailed access seeker level disclosure.”