[Sydney, AUSTRALIA] Following the launch of its own wholesale and retail DSL services, Telstra has today opened its local loop network to allow competitors to run their own services over its copper.

Telstra plans to charge an average of $63 per line for access to the unbundled local loop, a figure which the ACCC has deemed "too high." The ACCC recommended roughly half that charge, at around $36. Telstra's retail DSL service starts at $73, leaving its competitors with only ten dollars leeway to provide a similar service. Adding to Telstra's line access fee the cost of equipment rollout, interconnect, and support, groups such as the Internet Industry Assocation and ISP group AUSBONE claim the pricing will prove prohibitive for would-be competitors.

"Today's launch of access to the unconditioned local loop (ULL) marks a new era in competition and consumer choice in both voice and new technology high speed internet services," said Telstra group managing director, infrastructure services and wholesale, Gerry Moriarty. "As promised, both ULL and wholesale ADSL have been delivered to the market at the same time in August 2000."

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