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November 16, 2005
Telstra's move to re-monopolise Australia
It's fascinating to watch Telstra embarking on a blatant exercise in reconstructing the monopoly that saddled Australia with such notable telecommunications achievements as "broadband" Internet that is so slow it isn't regarded officially as broadband (and costs a lot more than genuine broadband), mobile phone charges that are the second highest in the developed world, and margins that, at 45 per cent, are regarded with envy by other carriers.
Today Telstra's been providing some of the details of its broadband ransom plan that would allow it to continue to charge inflated prices, and simultaneously crush the competition.
We suspect that their chances of getting away with this sort of crap are precisely nil. If they did, we'd have every other 20th Century monopolist queuing up for their own little sweetheart deal, and consumers would be breaking down the doors of Parliament House. At least we hope they'd be breaking down the doors of Parliament. Although you have to wonder, given some of the comments in the Whirlpool thread. The people who are asking "Why shouldn't Telstra be able to do this?" are in the minority in an expert forum. But we suspect there's an awful lot of Australians - particularly Telstra shareholders - who think a return to a Telstra monopoly would be a jolly good thing.
Posted by cw at November 16, 2005 06:07 PM
Comments
hi CW...I agree with you. Any chance of posting this article somewhere more public...so the great 'unwashed' masses can read it. Our IT&C in this country is suffering because of Telstra's belligerence and their thoughts that 'they were born to rule'.
Posted by: Ian Smith at November 16, 2005 09:16 PM