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This week
IN THE NEWS: Disaster Preparedness Summit meets, ACCAN AGM approaching, and Mapping the Digital Gap report released
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ACCAN’s Annual General Meeting will take place on Thursday October 12 from 4pm AEDT, online and in-person at the ACCAN office. We will have live captioning and Auslan interpreters available throughout this meeting. Please register your attendance and confirm any accessibility requirements, by Tuesday 10th October, 2023 at the link above. [ACCAN]
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Key stakeholders from the emergency services, logistics, food, insurance, telecommunications and utilities sectors (among others) gathered in Canberra on September 25-26 to attend a summit convened by the Government's National Emergency Management Agency. The summit brought together cross-sector stakeholders to jointly plan disaster responses for a summer set to be the hottest and driest in many years. [Mirage News]
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The first outcomes report of the Mapping the Digital Gap project by the ADM+S Centre, funded by Telstra, has been released. Headline findings include that 43% of Australia’s 1545 First Nations communities have no mobile service at all, and only 14% receive fixed broadband. The project is set to continue over a four-year period. The report was launched on September 27 by Dr. Dot West, Chair of the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group. [ADM+S Centre]
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ACCAN is looking for an experienced and highly motivated Disability Policy Officer to join our team! For more information and to apply, visit the link above. Applications are due by COB October 6th. [ACCAN]
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At an address to a Telecommunications Society webinar last Thursday, Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert again called for increased levels of direct regulation in the telco sector. The Ombudsman questioned why the telecommunications industry, unlike other essential service providers in (for example) the energy and water sectors, are still allowed to create their own consumer protections regulations. She pointed to changing community expectations, which have evolved since the introduction of the co-regulatory framework over 25 years ago, as an impetus for reform. The full speech is available above. [TIO]
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Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland and Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt have announced the establishment of a Public Safety Mobile Broadband Taskforce. The Taskforce will be supported by Federal, State and Territory government agencies, and is responsible for ensuring ‘fast and secure voice, video and data communications’ for emergency services which have previously relied upon radio communications in responding to hazards and natural disasters. [Minister for Communications]
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In their submission to a parliamentary inquiry into the influence of international digital platforms, Optus has argued that global streaming platforms (think – Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc) be subject to additional charges as a result of the significant bandwidth consumed by their services. Optus claims that streaming services account for up to 80% of peak period data consumption, and suggest two possible models for recouping costs to Australia telcos. [ITNews]
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Although between 9 and 12 months remain before major telcos officially shut down their 3G services, this ABC article contains reports from several farmers in Western NSW who are already experiencing significant drops in 3G service quality. Poor service risks hampering the upcoming harvest for some farmers still relying on the 3G network, and although Telstra has assured customers 3G coverage would not be impacted before the shutdown date, on-ground reports suggest this hasn't been the case. [ABC]
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After a successful three-month trial, the Western Australian Police Force have announced they will be deploying Starlink internet connections to 550 vehicles and 129 police station in regional areas. Initial costs are reportedly $8.5 million. [ITNews]
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The National Relay Service has announced that Video Relay will be trialled on Saturdays between 8am and 12 noon, outside its usual weekday operations. The trial will both assess demand for the service and test availability of Auslan interpreters during the timeslot. ACCAN encourages any interested readers to make use of the service during the trial period. [DITRDCA]
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If you are Deaf, or have a hearing impairment or speech impairment, you can contact us on 02 9288 4000 through your preferred National Relay Service call number or access point.
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