Notice of the Primary Universal Service Provider for the Extended Zones of Australia (Cth)

NOTICE OF THE PRIMARY UNIVERSAL SERVICE PROVIDER FOR THE EXTENDED ZONES OF AUSTRALIA

On 1 June 2001 the Commonwealth and Telstra Corporation Limited (ABN 33 051 775 556) entered into a written agreement under section 57 of the Telstra Corporation Act 1991 that is expressed to have effect for the purpose of subsection 12E(1) of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 (the Act). Notice is hereby given pursuant to subsection 12E(6) of the Act that as specified in this written agreement, from
31 July 2001 Telstra Corporation Limited is the primary universal service provider for the universal service area of the Extended Zones, in respect of the following service obligations:

(a)the obligation referred to in paragraph 9(1)(a) of the Act (dealing with standard telephone services);

(b)the obligation referred to in paragraph 9(1)(b) of the Act (dealing with payphones); and

(c)the obligation referred to in paragraph 9(1)(c) of the Act (dealing with prescribed carriage services).

For the purpose of this notice, Extended Zones has the same meaning as given in the written agreement referred to above.

NoteOn 1 June 2001 the Commonwealth and Telstra entered into a written agreement under section 57 of the Telstra Corporation Act 1991 that is expressed to have effect for the purpose of subsection 12E(1) of the Act. By virtue of this agreement, paragraph 12E(2)(a) of the Act deems the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts to have determined under Section 9G of the Act that the Extended Zones are a universal service area for the purposes of the service obligations outlined above. Also by virtue of this agreement, paragraph 12E(2)(b) of the Act deems the Minister to have determined under Section 12A of the Act that Telstra is the primary universal service provider for the universal service area of the Extended Zones in respect of the service obligations outlined above.

By virtue of subsection 12EA(1) of the Act, the Minister must not determine any other person to be the primary universal service provider for the Extended Zones in respect of the service obligations outlined above. Subsection 12EA(1) of the Act also provides that the Australian Communications Authority must not approve any other person as a competing universal service provider for the Extended Zones in respect of the service obligations outlined above. Subsection 12EA(2) of the Act provides that the limitations imposed by subsection 12EA(1) of the Act remain in force while the agreement referred to above between Telstra and the Commonwealth remains in force in relation to the Extended Zones but no longer than three years after the commencement date for that area.

(Signed)

Simon Bryant

General Manager

Regional Communications Policy

Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts

(Published in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette No. GN29, 25 July 2001.)