ACCAN recently submitted to the Digital Identity Legislation Phase 2 consultation. While ACCAN welcomed several of the provisions included in the draft legislation we had concerns about the following:
Read more: Digital Identity Legislation - Phase 2 Consultation 2021
The Consumer Data Right, also known as the CDR, is a new law designed to give consumers greater access and control of their own data and more readily compare and switch between products and services, which encourages competition between services providers.
The CDR allows consumers to direct their data to be shared from their existing service provider through a secure online system with a new provider of their choice. To receive CDR data, data recipients need to become accredited.
Read more: Consumer Data Right telecommunications sectoral assessment
NBN Co’s Special Access Undertaking (SAU) is a key part of the nbn’s regulatory framework. The SAU determines how much nbn can charge for wholesale phone and internet services and provides the framework for non-price issues to help ensure the nbn works in a way that protects the long-term interest of consumers.
On the 18th June ACCAN attended an industry roundtable hosted by the ACCC. The purpose of this roundtable was to discuss the regulatory arrangements for the nbn that could be established under the revised SAU – Special Access Undertaking. The ACCC prepared a framing paper prior to the roundtable. In response to the framing paper, ACCAN:
In July 2021 Treasury released exposure draft amendments to the Consumer Data Right rules and explanatory materials for consultation (version 3 of the rules).
The Treasury’s exposure draft amendments changed the CDR Rules to “reduce barriers for participation in open banking” and “increase participation in the CDR by data recipients and consumers” by:
ACCAN recently submitted to the ACCC regarding an authorisation application for members of the Telco Together Foundation (TTF) to work collaboratively to reduce modern slavery.
The authorisation would allow TTF members to engage in conduct that would normally be viewed as anticompetitive and illegal. Under the authorisation, collaborative conduct would be allowed in relation to specific activities necessary to identify and address modern slavery within telecommunications industry supply chains.
Read more: Telco Together Foundation Modern Slavery authorisation application
Nbn Co sought feedback on the second consultation paper of its wholesale pricing review. Earlier in 2021, ACCAN provided feedback to its first consultation paper.
In our response to nbn Co’s second consultation paper ACCAN explained that we would not like to see wholesale costs for residential customers increase, due to the flow on impact that wholesale price increases can have on consumers. As such, in our response ACCAN supported:
Read more: NBN Co Pricing Review 2021 – Consultation Paper 2