ACCAN recently submitted to the Communications Alliance on its consultation paper, Industry Managed Numbering Arrangements. Communications Alliance is proposing to take over all responsibilities for the management of telecommunications numbering, which is currently undertaken by the ACMA, Communications Alliance, and Industry Number Management Systems Ltd.
Numbering is important as telephone numbers let consumers know what type of service is being called (i.e. a mobile, national, international, toll or free number) and how much a call is likely to cost. This has important accessibility and affordability implications.
ACCAN broadly supports CA’s proposal to become the new Numbering Scheme Manager, to develop and manage numbering and the Numbering Plan, subject to the following conditions.
Part of CA’s proposal means that responsibility for numbering policy development would move from Government and the ACMA to industry (CA). ACCAN does not agree with CA’s proposed policy development structure and submitted that ACCAN, other consumer and public interest groups, Government and the regulator should always be involved in the policy process. ACCAN also submitted that the CA Board should not have the power to veto decisions of a numbering policy committee.
In addition ACCAN submitted that to maintain consumer protections, all the numbering codes that concern consumer rights to, and use of, numbers should remain registered and enforceable by the ACMA.
