Our policy priorities are broad subject areas which identify the focus of our policy work for 2018-19. ACCAN's mission is to represent consumers and the public interest, with particular emphasis on the needs of consumers for whom the market is not working.
Our policy priorities were developed in close consultation with ACCAN members, and informed by our knowledge and analysis of the communications market and market trends.
Improved consumer safeguards
We will advance protections needed for the delivery of essential communications services to consumers.
Our focus will be ensuring there are adequate safeguards to support services that meet the needs of todays’ consumers, underpinned by robust reliability measures and high standards of service delivery.
We will work for new measures to protect consumers in the NBN transition and beyond, in reviews of industry codes and guidelines, and in the Federal Government’s consumer safeguards review. We will work to ensure that consumers are advantaged by reforms of the Universal Services Obligation.
Better communications for poorly served areas
We will work closely with communities for improvements in existing services and mobile network expansion, and for a smooth transition to NBN broadband.
We will support policies that deliver greater mobile coverage, enhanced mobile network performance and choice of mobile provider, and work to ensure that the NBN switchover delivers service improvements for all.
Empowering consumer decision making
We will support a competitive market by ensuring consumers are informed and have the tools they need to participate.
We will focus on expanding the ACCC’s Broadband Performance Monitoring program to include fixed wireless and satellite services. We will advocate for secure consumer access to their own data to guide better purchasing decisions. We will provide timely and useful product information to support and inform better consumer choices.
Affordable communications
We will strive to eliminate affordability barriers for all consumers.
We will focus on working with industry and government to developed targeted responses that are suited to consumer need. We will advocate for reforms to current allowances and the introduction of targeted subsidies, and investigate and advocate for other low-income measures. We will support the development of affordable broadband products for low-income Australians. We will work for improved hardship arrangements to ensure consumers experiencing financial difficulties can stay connected.
Improved accessibility
We will work with our members for the removal of barriers to access to communications products and services for people with disability.
Our focus will be the introduction of a National Disability Telecommunications Service, and better information for consumers on accessible products and services. We will advocate for accessible online services and web video content, and for audio description and improved live captions on broadcast television. We will advocate for consumer needs to be central in the delivery of the National Relay Service, and encourage innovations that deliver improved accessibility, including the nationwide adoption of a government purchasing policy for accessible ICT.
Privacy, security and online safety
We will work to maintain and protect consumer privacy, security, and online safety.
We will advocate for the inclusion of robust consumer privacy protections in the social media ecosystem, and incorporation by design into the Government’s Trusted Digital Identity Framework. We will work to ensure privacy and security considerations are forefront in the development of a Consumer Data Right. We will ensure that consumer interests are central in the future of the Do Not Call Register, the Integrated Public Number Database, and the Spam Act, and that consumer privacy, online security and safety are foremost in a world of increasingly connected personal devices and digital services.
In Addition:
We will consult with our members and provide well researched, evidence based input into government and industry consultations to represent and maintain consumer interests at the core of policy developments and industry initiatives.
We will actively monitor and engage with government, nbn co and industry to ensure consumer interests shape the continued roll out of the National Broadband Network.
We will engage as consumer experts with industry and government on policy and regulatory reform.
We will represent the consumer voice on government, industry and international committees.
We will monitor the consumer implications of emerging technologies including the application of Internet of Things.
