Telcos join together against Telstra

[StartMeUp]

Australian Telcos have banded together in a unprecedented attack against Telstra through the media.

Seven of Australia's largest telecommucations companies launched a full page advertisement in The Australian today, with the headline "Stand up for competition. And stand up to Telstra."

AAPT, iiNet, Macquarie Telecom, Optus, PowerTel, Primus and Soul (formerly SP Telemedia) are represented in the ad.

http://www.whirlpool.net.au/

Telstra must work within the rules governing telecommunications across Australia and stop complaining, Treasurer Peter Costello said on Thursday.

"There is no point in complaining about the regime all the time. They are the rules of the game, and the company has to work within it," Mr Costello said.

His comments follow a string of complaints from Telstra about the regulatory regime under which it operates, and this week's announcement that it plans to sack up to 12,000 staff in the next five years.

Telstra shares have plunged in recent days in response to the company's long term strategic plan.

Mr Costello said the company's management should focus on restoring the value of the share price rather than constantly arguing for changes in government regulations.

"Telstra has to compete inside those rules, alongside other companies, and it has got to focus on doing the best it can within the rules, rather than spending its time trying to change those rules."

Mr Costello described Telstra's recent profits as quite strong.

"The average Australian is looking to the management to come up with a plan which will add value, and also give a good telecommunication services, and that is the management's obligation," he said.

"It is not the management's obligation to be writing the competition rules.

Costello tells Telstra to stop whingeing

[Nashy]

Internet Service Providers actually. Nothing really to do with their phone wholesale

[Michael_C]

Very good, something similar needs to be done in New Zealand.

There was a documentary on TV tonight about the cost of cellphone networks and New Zealand's prices would have to be dropped by 70% to meet the OECD average. :(

[Nashy]

Vodafone NZ goes alright.

[HoochieMamma]

Fantastic news...... FANTASTIC!

[Hitman2000]

Great, I hate telstra. There price is something like $50 for 500mb and 512k. stupid ripoff.

[Michael_C]

Vodafone NZ goes alright.

586834677[/snapback]

$0.20 per text message/SMS isn't alright. :(

[Spath]

sounds reasonable actually, i pay 25cent with Virgin.. :-(

[deuz]

Great, I hate telstra. There price is something like $50 for 500mb and 512k. stupid ripoff.

586834795[/snapback]

i agree it is a pos.....i have optus and vodafone stuff....telsra should being to lose it monopoly once t3 comes into play

[sharpy2k4]

meh, in the uk we're still getting ripped off, 10p per text, compared to Denmark at the equivalent of 2p, 40p per minute during the day,its a right rip off, infact im also being screwed over by my ISP Tiscali, paying ?17 for 1mb broadband(no limits, registered with them before limits were introduced) and we're still on 512k as they say the BT Exchange cannot handle speeds of 1mb and above....so i rang BT, they should my exchange can handle up to 2mb, and i told Tiscali this and they havent done a thing about it. but i have heard about the stupid price for broadband down under and i kinda feel lucky that mine is cheaper, but i bet you dont get a ****ty customer service where you cant understand a thing they say, and they blame downtime over the XMas period on my christmas lights and my fridge....

[Nashy]

$0.20 per text message/SMS isn't alright. :(

586834971[/snapback]

No Trust me. I've used the following services in Australia:

Vodafone (Current)

Tel$ra

3

Optus

Virgin

Orange

Vodafone NZ is absolutely fantastic compared to any of them. I pay .25c a message too.

[Kr0z]

I hope a big european telco buys the rest of telstra.

Telstra is anticompetitive and backward.