Some practical outcomes I have very quickly covered what is a very complex and wide ranging reform process. Prices for telecommunications services are lower, as new entrants have placed strong competitive pressure on the incumbent carriers. In the national long distance market where competition is strong, pricing benefits have been substantial. The highly competitive international call market has witnessed spectacular price decreases. Even in the local loop where the barriers are higher and competition has been slower to develop, there has been progress.
Rival carriers are also re-billing local calls to provide customers with a single bill option.
Most recently Primus announced it would offer 22 cent local calls. The increasing activity in the telecommunications sector has led to the creation of more jobs overall, although this is not evident to those who look just at employment within the dominant carrier. Australia is seeing the development of a viable wholesale market for telecommunications services. Carriers are recognising that it is an attractive business to be in to sell services to each other as well as to business and private customers. Another carrier can be a competitor at the retail level, while remaining a customer at the wholesale level.