OPTUS CHALLENGES TELSTRA OVER 13 AND 1800 NUMBERS

Cable & Wireless Optus today launched action against Telstra over 13, 1300 and 1800 services.

Cable & Wireless Optus' Managing Director of Data and Business Services, Chris Hancock, said Optus has notified the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) of a dispute with Telstra under the Trade Practices Act.

"Telstra presently has the lion's share of this $650 million market - and is putting up fierce resistance as Optus fights to introduce competition," Mr Hancock said.

Before 30 November this year, a business with a 13, 1300 or 1800 number provided by Telstra could not switch to Optus and keep the same number.

"This has been a major impediment to competition, because 13, 1300 and 1800 numbers are valuable business assets which are often heavily publicised," he said.

Since 30 November, Telstra and the industry has been obligated to give customers the right to choose their carrier and take their numbers with them. This new obligation followed years of lobbying by Cable & Wireless Optus.

"On 1 December, Telstra refused to 'port' customers to Optus on the grounds that the two carriers did not have a bilateral agreement. This was a clear violation of the rules for porting customers established by the industry-based governing body, Industry Number Management Services (INMS)," Mr Hancock said.

Telstra has never raised a requirement for bilateral agreements during months of industry negotiations.

Cable & Wireless Optus has now secured a bilateral agreement, and has already ported four customers from Telstra - including one large Government department which estimates it is saving up to $40,000 a week by obtaining these services from Optus rather than Telstra.

But Optus has taken action because there continue to be significant issues in dispute between Optus and Telstra.

"We should not have to keep fighting Telstra to do what they are legally obliged to do - allow businesses to choose their provider and the best deal," Mr Hancock said.

For more information:
Stephen Woodhill
Cable & Wireless Optus
Phone (02) 9342 7850