ACCAN recently commented on the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Domestic Transmission Capacity Service (DTCS) Final Access Determination (FAD) discussion paper.
ACCAN’s submission argued that the economic regulation of DTCS is critical to supporting the delivery of telecommunications services across Australia. ACCAN recommends that:
- DTCS services should be priced by reference to a benchmarking approach as the cost and complexity associated with cost model-based methodologies are likely to outweigh the benefits of the additional precision of these pricing approaches.
- The pricing factors for the subsea component of DTCS services to Tasmania should be reviewed to ensure that these factors are relevant and remain cost reflective.
- DTCS services to Christmas Island should be benchmarked against domestic and international prices for transmission services provided over subsea cables.
- The range of capacities covered by the DTCS FAD should be determined by reference to contemporary commercial products.
- The regulated price for non-recurrent charges should be benchmarked against current commercial prices.
ACCAN supports the duration of the DTCS FAD proposed by the ACCC, expiring 31 March 2029.
Download: 
ACCC DTCS FAD Discussion Paper201.26 KB
Download: 
ACCC DTCS FAD Discussion Paper81.55 KB
In November 2012 the Telstra Telephone Exchange at Warrnambool, south west Victoria, caught on fire and disrupted the telecommunications services of an entire region. This research, conducted by RMIT University and funded under the ACCAN Grants Scheme, examined the social and financial impact of this outage on the residents and small businesses of the region.
The research report, as well as a series of 'survival plans' for businesses, government and individuals, can be found on the Grants Scheme webpage.
The summary below outlines ACCAN's activities from 1 June to 31 August 2015.
UTS School of Communication
Grant round: 2017-18
Amount: $55,302
Planning on heading away with family or friends this summer?
With many Aussies choosing to holiday at home this year, travelling to rural, regional or remote areas can be a great idea for people wanting to escape the bustle of the city. However, city-dwellers who haven’t travelled into remote parts of the country before may not be aware of the things you have to consider when it comes to staying somewhere new.
Read more: Preparing for emergencies when telecommunications services go down
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Mobile devices - Tasmania
As part of Scams Awareness Week, ACCAN – Australia's peak communications consumer body – is calling on Australians to ‘share a story, stop a scam’.
Consumers encounter scams on a daily basis. Communications services – text messages and phone calls – are leading contact methods criminals use to target people. We are all part of the fight to stop scammers stealing money and information from Australians. As such, ACCAN is pleased to support the National Anti-Scam Centre (NASC) as they ask Australians to ‘share a story, stop a scam’ this Scams Awareness Week, 26-30 August.
Read more: Fighting back against cyber criminals this Scams Awareness Week
ACCAN recently submitted to the Future Skills Organisation (FSO) consultation on Bridging the Digital Divide: Digital Accessibility and Inclusion.
The submission recommends the FSO considers options to ensure:
Earlier this year Google and ACCAN partnered to offer a paid internship opportunity with ACCAN. Applicants were invited to submit a brief proposal outlining a research project on an emerging communications consumer issue.
The winner was recent law graduate David Seidler, who tackled the hot topic of data retention. Seidler’s report Hacking the Grapevine: Data Retention and protecting Australian consumer privacy is a first-class piece of research by a talented up-and-coming lawyer.
The summary below outlines ACCAN's activities from 1 March to 31 May 2015.
QUT School of Justice, Faculty of Law
Grant round: 2017-18
Amount: $53,247