The ACCAN National Conference, Dollars and Bytes - Communications affordability now and tomorrow, was held from 1-2 September, 2015, at the Aerial UTS Function Centre in Sydney.
Affordability is one of our core objectives and was the focus of the Conference. Affordability of communications products is an issue that affects all consumers, from young people, to families and seniors.
Presentations and transcripts are now available and are linked below.
Conference Program
1-2 September 2015
Aerial UTS Function Centre, Sydney
Day 1
Session 2: Indigenous consumers and affordability and update on Regional Telecommunications review
Session 3: Mapping affordability research
Michelle Rowland, Federal Member for Greenway - Shadow Minister for Communication
Session 4: Affordability for All - The real experience
Session 5: Will the price be right
Day 2
Session 1: Last Avenue for Digital Inclusion - Broadband & Social Housing
Gavin Williams, General Manger of Fixed Wireless & Satellite, nbnTM
Session 2: Communications Affordability, the Way Forward
Session 3: Debate: 'Digital disruption is in the best interest of consumers'
Closing remarks: Teresa Corbin, ACCAN CEO
2016: The Year of Digital Inclusion Launch
Day 1, Tuesday 1st September
Opening session
8:55-9:10am
Welcome and opening address
Teresa Corbin
CEO ACCAN
Welcome Address
Johanna Plante
Chairperson ACCAN Board
Welcome to Country
Uncle Chicka Madden
Cultural Representative, Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council
Opening Address
The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP, Minister for Communications
[video not provided to ACCAN with subtitles - please refer to conference transcript]
Download: 
Transcript18.94 KB
Download: 
Transcript206.09 KB
Keynote session
9:10-10:05am
Ideas Garden promotional video
Claire Milne
Visiting Senior Fellow, Department of Media and Communications, London School of Economics
Claire Milne, MBE, has worked in the telecoms sector since 1975. A Maths graduate, she had a varied series of management jobs within British Telecom, including teletraffic theory, exchange and network design, regulation, marketing strategy and mobile. Since 1989, she has been a consultant, first with Ovum and then in her own company Antelope Consulting; and since 2003 she has been a Visiting Senior Fellow at LSE. From 2008 to 2014 she chaired the Consumer Forum for Communications at Ofcom. Consultancy has taken her to scores of countries, and she contributed to CTN's For Whom The Phone Rings and ACCAN's Future Consumer.
ACCAN is very pleased to welcome Claire as the keynote speaker for the ACCAN National Conference 2015.
Presentation: Claire Milne presentation846.47 KB
Download: Transcript33.79 KB
Download: Transcript273.55 KB
10:05-10:30am
Paul Shetler
CEO
Digital Transformation Office
Presentation: Paul Shetler presentation5.67 MB
Download:Transcript26.98 KB
Download: Transcript225.37 KB
Morning Tea: 10:30-11:00am - Sponsored by National Relay Service, speech 10.30-10.32am
Session Two
11:00-11:20am
Heron Loban
Indigenous Consumers and Communications Affordability
lnsights into affordability of telecommunications products and services for Indigenous consumers.
11:20-11:30am
Deena Shiff
Director, Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee
Update on Regional Telecommunications Review
Download: Transcript26.54 KB
Download: Transcript229.05 KB
Session Three
11:30-12:30pm
The real experience: Sarah Toohey, Council to Homeless Persons
Mapping Affordability Research
This session will investigate the current research landscape on the affordability of telecommunications products and services and will identify the existing research gaps. By drawing on the expertise of researchers from a wide range of disciplinary backgrounds, this session will provide insightful analysis of relevant research and consider exciting ideas for future research.
Moderator:
Dr Tony Eardley
Hon. Senior Lecturer, Social Policy Research Centre, University of New South Wales
Panel Participants:
Prof Julian Thomas
Director of the Swinburne Institute for Social Research
Dr Greg Ogle
Senior Policy & Research Analyst, South Australian Council of Social Service
Linda Caruso
Executive Manager, Strategy and Research Branch, Corporate and Research Division, ACMA
Presentation: Linda Caruso presentation672.38 KB
Diane Carmody
Acting Ombudsman, Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman
Download: Transcript35.93 KB
Download: Transcript252.92 KB
Lunch: 12:30-1:30pm
Ms Michelle Rowland MP
Shadow Minister for Citizenship & Multiculturalism.
Shadow Assistant Minister for Communication.
Federal Member for Greenway.
Presentation: Michelle Rowland presentation509.27 KB
Download: Transcript 28.37 KB
Download: Transcript230.76 KB
Session Four
2:00-3:00pm
Affordability for all-The Real Experience
This session focuses on ACCAN's basic principle that all Australians should have access to affordable telecommunications services. Participants will discuss a key issue from within the areas of small business, regional and remote consumers, low income and Indigenous consumers and consumers with disability. Participants will consider if there are any common issues and discuss possible solutions. The audience will have an opportunity to contribute to the discussion during Q&A.
Facilitator:
Chris Dodds
Chairperson
Telstra Low Income Measures Assessment Committee
Panel Participants:
Jo Benvenuti
Chair, Consumers Federation of Australia
Anthony Gibson: Video
Peter Strong
CEO, Council of Small Businesses of Australia
Fleur Turner: Video
Katie Acheson
Managing Director, Youth Action
Matthew Wight
CEO, Australian Federation of Disability Organisations
Ben McAmaney: Video
Roland Manderson
Deputy Director, Anglicare Australia
Pat Warriner: Video
Download: Transcript 30.89 KB
Download: Transcript241.14 KB
Afternoon Tea: 3:00 – 3.30 pm
The real experience: Gerard Brodie, CALC
Rod Sims
ACCC Chairman
Post speech video of Rod Sims
If I could say one thing: The Checkout, ABC1 Television
Download: Transcript25.35 KB
Download: Transcript223.02 KB
Session Five
4:00-5:00pm
Will the price be right?
This session will look at some of the instruments, market factors and consumer trends that affect prices into the future. It will examine the likely trend in product pricing (broadband, mobile and telephone services) and identify what effect this will have on affordability of products for consumers. In answering this it will develop the conversation from the previous session about what is the basic level of service that consumers will need access to in the future.
Facilitator:
Alan Kirkland
CEO, Choice
Panel Participants:
Shara Evans
CEO, Futurist, Keynote Speaker, Market Clarity
David Forman
Senior Manager, Industry & Policy, Macquarie Telecom
Nick McClintock
Director, Economic Analysis, Bureau of Communications Research
Download: Transcript43.42 KB
Download: Transcript260.88 KB
Drinks & Canapés
5:00-7:00pm
Apps For All Challenge Awards Ceremony
Together with Telstra, ACCAN brings you the Apps For All Challenge - Australia's only competition for accessible mobile apps, aiming to raise awareness of the issues faced by people with disability and older Australians with using apps on smartphones and tablets. The awards will acknowledge the apps that excel at including everyone.
Presentations from Dr Karsten Wildberger, Group Managing Director, Telstra Consumer and Emeritus Professor Ron McCallum AO, University of Sydney.
Download: Transcript23.38 KB
Download: Transcript221.74 KB
Day 2, Wednesday 2nd September
Session One
9:00-10:00am
Last Avenue of Digital Inclusion – Broadband & Social Housing
This session will present the results of ACCAN and Infoxchange research investigating social housing broadband - costs, service options and barriers to broadband take up in social housing and who is responsible for what aspects of the service.
Facilitator:
Dr Tessa Boyd-Caine
Deputy CEO, ACOSS
Keynote:
Daniel Salmon
Researcher, Infoxchange
Brendan Fitzgerald
Manager, Digital Inclusion, Infoxchange
Panel Participants:
Jenny Leong MLA
Greens spokesperson on Tenancy, Rental Housing and Strata Issues
Mark Feenane
Executive Officer, Victorian Public Tenants Association
Rodrigo Gutierrez
Manager, Sustainable Communities & Partnerships, Hume Community Housing Association
David Spriggs
CEO, Infoxchange
Download: Transcript43.35 KB
Download: Transcript274.93 KB
Gavin Williams
General Manager
Fixed Wireless & Satellite
nbnTM
Download: Transcript27.44 KB
Download: Transcript226.91 KB
Morning Tea: 10:30-11:00am
Session Two
11:00-1:00pm
Communications Affordability, the Way Forward
This session brings together thought-leaders and experts to propose new ideas. Unrestrained by commercial interests, political ideology or the status-quo our presenters will propose new and innovative solutions to remove affordability barriers faced by some telecommunications consumers. Responding to these ideas as well as issues and case studies raised on day one of the conference, Australia's leading Telcos will have an opportunity to outline their plans for closing the affordability gap now and into the future.
Facilitator:
Teresa Corbin
CEO, ACCAN
Panel Participants:
Robert Morsillo
Senior Advisor, Digital Inclusion Team, Chief Sustainability Office, Telstra
David Epstein
Vice President, Corporate & Regulatory Affairs, Singtel Optus
Matthew Lobb
General Manager, Industry Strategy & Public Policy, Vodafone
Ged Mansour
Head of Corporate Affairs & Communications, amaysim
Jeremy Way
General Manager, Jeenee Mobile
Mark Dioguardi
CTO, iiNet
Speakers:
Fiona Guthrie
Executive Director, Financial Counselling Australia
Dr Scott Hollier
Manager, Major Projects, Media Access Australia
Dr Justine Humphry
Lecturer, Cultural & Social Analysis,
School of Humanities and Communication Arts, University of Western Sydney
Paul Budde
CEO, BuddeComm
Dr Peter Gerrand
Hon Professorial Fellow, Melbourne School of Engineering, University of Melbourne
Download: Transcript66.73 KB
Download: Transcript327.29 KB
Lunch: 1:00-2:00pm
Session Three
2:00-2:55pm
Debate: 'Digital disruption is in the best interest of consumers'
Disruptive innovation has the potential to create new markets, choice, drive down prices and improve service delivery for consumers. Will the latest wave of digital disruptors liberate consumers from monopolies or shackle them to new ones? We hear from six experts debating the merits of disruption for consumers.
Moderator:
Delia Rickard
Deputy Chairperson, ACCC
Affirmatives:
Brad Kitsche
Director Public Policy (Oceania), Uber
Brendan Coady
Maddocks Lawyers
Daniel Duggan
Head of Mobile, Yatango
Negatives:
Stilgherrian
Freelance Journalist and Commentator
Katina Michael
Associate Professor,
Faculty of Engineering & Information Sciences, University of Wollongong
David Vaile
Executive Director, Cyberspace & Policy Centre
Download: Transcript42.28 KB
Download: Transcript265.97 KB
Closing remarks
2:55pm
Summation by Teresa Corbin, ACCAN CEO
2016: The Year of Digital Inclusion
Launch of the Year of Digital Inclusion by Infoxchange CEO, David Spriggs.
Download: Transcript21.1 KB
Download: Transcript211.88 KB
Afternoon Tea: 3:15-3:45pm
ACCAN Annual General Meeting (AGM)
3:45pm
Download Conference program: ACCAN Conference Program 727.38 KB
Download Conference program: ACCAN Conference Program219.49 KB