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NBN Co has recently announced changes to wholesale prices charged to retail service providers (RSPs) from October 2018. These changes mean consumers can expect to pay higher prices to access NBN services.
At the same time consumers can expect to have an improved experience as congestion in the network is addressed through greater dedication of bandwidth per individual customer.
The proposed changes to wholesale pricing will likely result in significant disadvantages for consumers on low incomes. ACCAN has been advocating for more affordable broadband and would like to see low income measures to address fairer NBN pricing.
Read more: ACCAN’s Analysis of NBN Co’s recently announced Pricing Changes
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Teresa Corbin, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network CEO (ACCAN) has presented to the Joint Standing Committee (JSC) on the National Broadband Network in Sydney today with a raft of recommendations emphasising the need for improved service standards for satellite, fixed wireless, ADSL and copper legacy technologies for broadband services to regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. Her opening statement concerned the following issues:
Read more: NBN Joint Parliamentary Committee Public Hearing Sydney, 4 June, 2018
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The Rural Regional and Remote Communications Coalition (RRRCC) is disappointed the Federal Government failed to commit to funding subsequent rounds of the Mobile Black Spot Program in this week’s Budget.
Improved mobile coverage is essential for Australia’s agriculture sector to become a $100 billion industry by 2030 and is critical for the health and economic well-being of regional communities.
“Mobile coverage is a major problem for a lot of our members.
"The Government’s failure to commit additional funding to the Mobile Black Spot Program is a let-down for regional communities,” Derek Schoen, NSW Farmers President said.
The RRRCC recognises that some mobile black spot towers, funded under previous rounds of the Program, are yet to be built, and urges the Government and industry partners to expedite the roll-out of this vital infrastructure.
"We are huge supporters of the Program. It is delivering for regional communities and businesses, and will continue to do so with current funding," Australian Communications Consumer Action Network CEO Teresa Corbin said.
Read more: Budget failure to fund Mobile Black Spots Program stalls #betterbushcomms
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ACCAN recently submitted to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) consultation on the declaration of the Domestic Transmission Capacity Service (DTCS).Declaring the DTCS means that wholesale transmission prices on certain routes are regulated by the ACCC. Low DTCS prices means more service providers and more competition.
Read more: Declaration of the Domestic Transmission Capacity Service
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Minister for Communications and the Arts Mitch Fifield, in response to an Australian Sign Language video question on the ABC’s Q&A program this week [at 35min 50sec], pledged that Australians who are Deaf, hearing and/or speech impaired will have the service they need when the Government implements the next National Relay Service (NRS) contract.
The issue raised by Deaf Australia CEO Kyle Miers, is that the current cost of providing the NRS is in excess of $32 million per annum and the recently released NRS request for tender has capped the service funding at $22 million per annum for the next three year.
The question of how a 30% reduction in funding can ensure services will continue on a 24/7 basis was asked on behalf of the Coalition of NRS Users Organisations;
Read more: Support for the NRS and the Ministers pledge
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The ACMA is developing new rules to protect consumers migrating to the NBN, as announced late last year. The ACMA has now consulted on all five measures which focus on improving the way the telco industry handles consumer complaints, the provision of information to consumers, and ensuring that consumers have access to a working service.
ACCAN has submitted on the: Complaints Handling Standard, Record Keeping Rules, Consumer Information Standard, Line Testing Determination, and Service Continuity Standard.
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Date: 11-12 September 2019
Venue: Aerial UTS Function Centre, Sydney
ACCAN is constantly striving for improved, consumer-friendly, telecommunications services for all Australians. This year we celebrate a decade of bringing the consumer voice to the telco table.
ACCANect 2019 will provide an opportunity for consumers to reflect on the last 10 years of change in telecommunications and to hear about the challenges and triumphs that consumers have faced. We will also look to the future and hear from our guest speakers about the current trends and increase in demand for telecommunications services towards 2030.
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Conference background
In 2018, technology and digital services are all around us. Consumers use the internet and telecommunications services to stay connected, go shopping, link into education and job opportunities and access government services.
While we increasingly live our lives online, it’s vital that we don’t leave anyone behind.
- What gaps will appear in the connected world?
- Who will and won’t be able to access services due to limitations on connectivity?
- What can we do to ensure that people are not only connected but also have the confidence to use new technologies to their benefit?
We will explore these questions and more at the 2018 ACCANect Conference, themed: ‘Confidence in the Connected World’.
ACCANect will be an opportunity for consumers, providers and government representatives to get up to speed on consumer concerns around the connected world.
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The Federal Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network is inquiring into the rollout of the NBN in rural and regional areas, focusing on the capacity and reliability of NBN satellite, fixed wireless and fixed line networks. ACCAN has submitted to the inquiry, presenting the major concerns of rural, regional and remote consumers and small business.
Some of the main issues and recommendations in our submission are:
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ACCAN is alarmed that complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) have increased by 28.7 percent in the six months to December 2017, compared to the same time the previous year. The peak Australian telecommunications consumer body says the TIO’s latest statistics reinforce the need for urgent industry action to put customers first.
“Continuing high numbers of complaints shine a spotlight on weak consumer protections that have existed in telecommunications for some time. This is upheld by the fact that complaint numbers have increased across the board in mobile, fixed line phones and internet services”, said ACCAN CEO, Ms. Teresa Corbin.
“Arguments about whether complaints are the responsibility of the wholesale provider (NBN) or retail service providers do not help consumers resolve these problems quickly. ACCAN strongly supports the new raft of ACMA rules as they are badly needed - particularly the new complaint handling standard and complaints reporting rules.
Read more: Continuing rise in telco complaints shows need for urgent reforms
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Background
In March 2018 it was revealed that the data firm, Cambridge Analytica, gained unauthorised access to almost 87 million (primarily United States) Facebook users’ data. Also implicated was Cambridge Analytica’s British counterpart, Strategic Communication Laboratories.
Facebook users’ data was harvested through the two data firms through a personality-quiz app created by Cambridge psychology professor, Aleksandr Kogan, named “This Is Your Digital Life”. Facebook confirmed that only 270,000 Facebook users downloaded Kogan’s app, but Facebook has not yet refuted claims that up to 87 million users’ data had been accessed. During this time, when Facebook users downloaded apps connected to their Facebook accounts, they also exposed data from many of their friends to the app developer, hence, the large estimated number of users affected.
Read more: Cambridge Analytica and Facebook: The Aftermath
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The NSW Law Reform Commission will examine laws regarding access to a deceased or incapacitated person’s social media account and other digital assets. The NSW Law Reform Commission outlines that digital assets can include images, videos, emails, online banking accounts, cryptocurrency, domain names, blogs and online gaming accounts.
The move comes after concerns over what happens to digital assets after death or incapacitation in an increasingly connected world.
‘In today’s hyper-connected world, an unprecedented amount of work and socialising occurs online, yet few of us consider what happens to our digital assets once we’re gone or are no longer able to make decisions’, Attorney General, Mark Speakman, said.
Read more: Review of social media and other digital assets after death or incapacitation
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