Commerce Commission releases draft decision for the Low Frequency Voice Service
Published16 Sep 2011
The Commerce Commission today published its draft determination on the price and non-price terms for the Unbundled Copper Low Frequency Voice Service (UCLFS).
The Commerce Commission today published its draft determination on the price and non-price terms for the Unbundled Copper Low Frequency Voice Service (UCLFS).
The UCLFS will enable telecommunications companies to provide a voice service to their customers using the low frequency band in Telecom's copper local loop network. Telecommunications companies can combine this service with a wholesale broadband service – such as Telecom's unbundled bitstream access (UBA) service – to deliver broadband and voice services to their customers. The UCLFS would come into effect on the day that Telecom separates into Chorus and Telecom Retail.
The Commission has set the price of the UCLFS at $23.93 when there is no other service being purchased at the same time as UCLFS. This is the same as the average price determined in the recently released draft review of the unbundled copper local loop (UCLL) service prices. When UCLFS is being taken in conjunction with Naked DSL, the Commission has set a zero monthly rental price. This is because the costs of the low frequency portion of the loop are already recovered in the Naked UBA price.
Submissions on the Commission's draft determination are due by 5pm on Wednesday 5 October 2011. Cross submissions will then be due by 5pm on Wednesday 12 October 2011. If substantive issues arise in submissions which would benefit from a Conference being held, then the Conference will be held on Wednesday 19 October 2011. The Commission expects to release its final determination by 18 November 2011.
The unbundled copper low frequency service (UCLFS) enables telecommunications companies to have access to the low frequency portion (being the frequency band between 300 and 3400Hz) of the unbundled copper local loop (UCLL) network. When telecommunications companies have this service they can supply voice services to retail customers without needing to replicate the local loop.
Unbundled copper local loop
The unbundled copper local loop network service (UCLL) enables telecommunications companies to have access to, and interconnect with, Telecom's copper local loop network. When telecommunications companies have this service they can supply voice and broadband services to retail customers without needing to replicate the local loop.
Unbundled bitstream access
Unbundled bitstream access (UBA) refers to the service that enables telecommunications companies to access, and interconnect with, the part of Telecom's fixed public data network that connects the end-user's building to Telecom's first data switch (or equivalent facility) other than a digital subscriber line access multiplexer (DSLAM).
