The Australian government has introduced more than 20 pages of amendments for the National Broadband Network legislation, with the intention of delivering a universal wholesale price for Australians ahead of the network's construction.

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy on Wednesday circulated amendments to NBN legislation currently being debated in the Senate.

The National Broadband Network Companies Bill 2010 (NBN Companies Bill) and the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (National Broadband Network Measures – Access Arrangements) Bill 2011 (NBN Access Arrangements Bill) passed through the House of Representatives earlier this month.

Senator Conroy said the Bills ensure the NBN operates as an open-access, wholesale-only network, to support vigorous retail-level competition for Australian consumers. The Government's amendments promote the long term interest of end users and underpin the Government's policy that NBN Co deliver a uniform national wholesale price outcome.

"Amendments we've moved today to authorise certain conduct of NBN Co will give certainty to regional and rural Australians, and NBN Co, by legislatively underpinning the continuing provision of uniform wholesale pricing that will help break down the digital divide, and support the Government's structural reform of the telecommunications industry.

"By requiring that new fibre networks which serve residential and small business premises and built after 1 January 2011 to supply services on an open access, wholesale-only basis, like the NBN, will mean people can have access to the same high-quality broadband services in terms of performance and retail competition, regardless of the network provider.

"The provisions are fundamental to the Government's policy that NBN Co deliver uniform national wholesale prices, and to the ability of NBN Co to cross-subsidise from high value areas to less profitable areas like most of regional Australia," Senator Conroy said.

Finally, the Government is exempting transactions under the Definitive Agreements between NBN Co and Telstra from State and Territory stamp duties.

"The NBN Co-Telstra Definitive Agreements will deliver structural separation of Telstra, a long sought micro-economic reform of the telecommunications industry.

"As a fundamental component of these historic reforms, the Definitive Agreements are not part of normal business operations and should not be subject to stamp duty or any other form of State and Territory government tax or duty."

The government has been criticised for making a last-minute backflip on its national broadband network.
Some of the amendments have been rejected by the Coalition, with opposition communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull saying the government is now clearly using the network to supply services to non-ISP institutions.