REG - Telstra Corp. Ld - TGL to consider decision on network sharing Agrmt.

TelstraAnnouncement

21/06/2023 08:15

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RNS Number : 3795D  Telstra Corporation Ld  21 June 2023

 21 June 2023   Office of the Company Secretary

                Level 41

242 Exhibition Street
 The Manager
MELBOURNE VIC 3000

AUSTRALIA

 RNS

                General Enquiries    613 8647 4838

                companysecretary@team.telstra.com (mailto:companysecretary@team.telstra.com)

                Investor Relations

                Tel:  1800 880 679

                investor.relations@team.telstra.com

 

 

 

ELECTRONIC LODGEMENT

 

 

 

Dear Sir or Madam

 

Telstra to consider competition tribunal's decision on landmark network
sharing agreement

 

In accordance with the Listing Rules, I attach a market release by Telstra
Group Limited which is also provided for the information of Telstra
Corporation Limited noteholders.

 

Authorised for lodgement by the CEO.

 

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

 

Sue Laver

Company Secretary

MARKET RELEASE
Telstra to consider competition tribunal's decision on landmark network sharing agreement

21 June 2023: Telstra today announced it would carefully consider the
Australian Competition Tribunal's decision to not grant authorisation for
their landmark Multi-Operator Core Network (MOCN) agreement with TPG.

Telstra CEO Vicki Brady said the outcome was disappointing, particularly given
the overwhelming support the proposal had received from regional Australia.

"What we've tried to do is take an innovative approach to improve experiences
for our customers and to answer calls from stakeholders, including
governments, to provide better mobile connectivity, more coverage and more
choice for our customers. The agreement with TPG would deliver these benefits
almost immediately and for the long-term," Ms Brady said.

"As we consider this outcome, we are also calling for a rethink of policy on
spectrum access in light of the ever-increasing demand for mobile data.

"Spectrum needs to be made available to those who can use it most effectively
for the benefit of customers. All mobile network operators are facing the
ongoing challenge of how to provide more capacity for customers to do all the
innovative things they want using our mobile networks. From smart farming,
mobile health care and remote education, through to the kids watching movies
on family road trips.

"With mobile data demand currently growing at around 30 per cent per annum,
there are essentially two ways to add capacity to meet this growing demand -
get access to more spectrum or build more towers."

Ms Brady said investing in more towers to add capacity in regional Australia
was not always commercially viable or an efficient use of capital or
government funds, especially given there was a large amount of spectrum not
being used and it wouldn't result in any material increase in coverage.

"As 5G drives increased data use and with 6G on the horizon, as a country we
need to be smarter about how we use our spectrum assets and there is a role
for government to look at how we do that more efficiently. At the moment we're
limited in the amount of spectrum we can buy at auction and, as today's result
shows, limited in the type of commercial arrangements we can put in place to
improve services for our customers.

"While Telstra will continue to have Australia's largest and fastest mobile
network, what today's decision means for the industry - at least for now - is
less choice and valuable spectrum in regional Australia going unused.

"We'll continue to advocate for getting the best possible outcomes for
regional Australia and continue to look for commercially negotiated sharing
arrangements to deliver better experiences for customers," said Ms Brady.

Telstra and TPG will review Australian Competition Tribunal's decision in full
before deciding on further action.

Telstra media contact:

Name: Steve Carey, General Manager Media

Mobile:  +61 413 988 640

Email: media@team.telstra.com
 

Media reference number: 025-2023

 

Telstra investor contact:

Name: Nathan Burley, Investor Relations

Mobile: +61 457 529 334

Email: investor.relations@team.telstra.com

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