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Payphones are an important public resource. Further to our submission on the Consumer Safeguard Instruments for payphone repairs, removals and installations, we ask the ACMA to keep rigorous records so we know what kind of problems people are encountering with payphones.

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ACCAN's submission to the Convergence Review highlights three key issues for reform: telecommunications co-regulation - also known as the smurfberry problem; moving from voice-centric to connectivity-centric regulation; and strengthening accessibility standards in broadcasting.

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The Mobile Matters report by project coordinator Leo Fieldgrass details the findings from a year-long youth participatory action research and advocacy program that involved over 100 Melbourne VCAL students. The student researchers documented the challenges faced by them and their peers and made recommendations to industry for changes to better support young consumers.

Students from the Youth Advocates Project by the Brotherhood of St Laurence have a clear message for telcos and regulators: "We want you to understand what it's like to be a young mobile consumer: we don't just use mobiles for mucking about. We use them for jobs and shifts, school, parents, and emergencies".

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This position statement has been issued by peak disability and consumer groups regarding the two proposed mobile emergency services for people who are Deaf, hearing-impaired or with speech impairment or complex communication needs (CCN). We stand together in calling for a simultaneous implementation of bothan SMS emergency service and an emergency service provided via a smartphone application.

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ACCAN says it welcomes the release of a draft revised Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) Code today, giving stakeholders a month to provide feedback as to whether the new rules will improve consumer protections for Australian residential and small business customers.

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ACCAN Chief Executive Teresa Corbin and Senior Policy Adviser Jonathan Gadir have given evidence in front of the Joint Committee: National Broadband Network (Rollout of the National Broadband Network) in Sydney this morning. They discussed the need for low-income broadband affordability measures, voice-only services and the demand for consumers for independent information about the NBN.

Earlier this year ACCAN published a NBN: Guide for Consumers, which Corbin says has been very much in demand. ACCAN says it looks forward to the establishment of a Consumer Advisory Panel within NBN Co, to meet quarterly to discuss issues that are of concern to consumers. 

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Once every three years the Department of Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy (DBCDE) undertakes a Regional Telecommunications Review, which considers whether people in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia have equitable access to telecommunications.

If your organisation is based in regional Australia, or you live in regional Australia, we’d love to hear your views via this short survey by 4 November 2011.

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The improved measures in the draft Mobile Premium Services (MPS) Code are a step in the right direction for consumers but new Code rules are weakened by the Code’s weak approach to compliance monitoring and enforcement.

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ACCAN Chief Executive Officer, Teresa Corbin, delivered an address to the telecommunications industry at the CommsDay Congress in Melbourne on Wednesday 12th October. Her speech covered a range of subjects, including the history of consumer representation in telecommunications and its funding arrangements, an outline of the work ACCAN does, and why consumer representation in this area remains so vital.

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ACCAN has made a submission to the ACCC consultation on the NBN Co-Optus agreement. We argue that marketing restrictions in the agreement are undesirable and that existing laws against misleading and deceptive conduct are sufficient.

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In establishing ACCAN in 2009, the government committed to conduct a review of ACCAN's performance after two years of operation. Having now reached that point, the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) is keen to hear your views.

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ACCAN has provided its view on Telstra's proposed structural separation undertaking (SSU) in this submission to the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission (ACCC). Along with much of the industry, we agree with the ACCC that the current SSU is lacking a clear and enforceable commitment to fair treatment of retail competitors.

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