Australia's Broadband Law Passes Parliament

Australia's parliament has agreed on legislation that sets out the regulatory framework for the National Broadband Network, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy said.

The legislation passed the House of Representatives on March 28, and included some amendments accepted by the Senate on March 25. "The bills set out a clear regulatory framework to provide that NBN Co. will operate on a wholesale-only, open and equivalent-access basis, delivering long-term benefits for competition and consumers," said Minister Conroy. Passage of the bills further underpins the government's policy to deliver structural reform of the telecommunications industry to promote sustainable retail-level competition, and fair pricing of wholesale services for all Australians, he said.