Underpinning the NBN rollout is the government’s objective to achieve major structural reform of the Australian telecommunications industry, which will deliver stronger competition, greater choice, lower prices and more innovation.
In November 2010 the Parliament passed the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer Safeguards) Act 2010. The Act provides the framework for Telstra to progressively migrate its customers to the NBN, at the end of which it will be structurally separated.
In March 2011 the Parliament passed the National Broadband Network Companies Act 2011 and the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (National Broadband Network Measures–Access Arrangements) Act 2011. The passage of the Acts underpins the government’s policy to establish a regulatory framework for the ownership and operations of NBN Co, and introduce new access, transparency and non-discrimination obligations for the supply of wholesale services by the company.
On 13 September 2011 the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Fibre Deployment) Act 2011 was passed by Parliament and it took effect on 27 September 2011. The legislation provides for the installation of fibre-ready pit and pipe in new developments to pave the way for the installation of fibre.
