The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today issued the third current cost accounting separation report relating to Telstra's operations in 2003-04.
The report is intended to provide greater transparency of Telstra's operations to better ensure that it does not unfairly discriminate between access seekers using its network services and its own retail operations.
The report contains historical and current cost financial information for 'core' telecommunications access services* and has been prepared pursuant to the Ministerial Direction on accounting separation issued by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts in June 2003.
The report indicates that on a current costs basis, the aggregate values of assets for the core access services are substantially higher than the historical asset valuations. In proportionate terms, this is particularly apparent for the unconditioned local loop and local carriage services.
The report for the first time includes profit and loss and capital employed statements that have been prepared on a current cost basis.
*The core access services comprise the local carriage service, PSTN originating and terminating access and the unconditioned local loop service.