Customers of NBN competitors will cop a new $7.30 ‘broadband tax’ every month
The consumer watchdog has decided customers that receive superfast fibre broadband sourced from outside the NBN will be slugged a tax to help coverage in regional Australia.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission on Friday handed down its final decision on the government’s proposed Regional Broadband Scheme, which proposes slugging operators of non-NBN superfast networks to pay a levy to go towards NBN’s obligation to service regional areas that are not financially viable.
A Bureau of Communications Research report last year recommended a monthly levy per high-speed line of $7.30 in financial year 2018, then stepping up to $8.00 by 2022.
The commission, in a change from its draft stance, has decided to allow the non-NBN operators to pass on the levy to end customers.
“Our view is that the regulated prices based on the NBN prices may not have allowed these network providers to recover their reasonable costs if they were also required to absorb the proposed RBS charge,” said ACCC chairperson Rod Sims.
Read more at Business Insider.
Tell us what you think of this new Tax.
No comments yet.