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ACCAN feedback on Comms Alliance Rights of Use Code

Details
Submissions

Communications Alliance, the peak body for the telco industry, is undertaking a routine review of C566:2005, the Industry Code on the Rights of Use of Numbers.

The Rights of Use of Numbers Code sets out rules and guidance for telcos when issuing, reserving, ‘quarantining’ and re-allocating telecommunications numbers to customers. A number goes into ‘quarantine’ – that is, it can’t be given to anyone else – for a period of usually 6-12 months once a service linked to that number is disconnected.

ACCAN’s submission outlines some of the issues customers have with numbers during the quarantine period, and how the Code could be improved to address these issues.

Sometimes customers can lose access to their number unintentionally, for example, there could be a a telco, customer or technical error that leads to a service being disconnected by accident. This means the number goes into ‘quarantine’.

Consumers can have a lot of difficulty getting their number back when it is quarantined unintentionally. ACCAN’s submission argues that the Rights of Use of Numbers Code needs stronger rules about the re-issuing of numbers transitioned to quarantine in error. This would make sure telcos are required to quickly re-allocate a number to the customer if their number was lost in error.

Download: docxACCAN feedback on Rights of Use of Numbers Code93.15 KB
Download: pdfACCAN feedback on Rights of Use of Numbers Code210.53 KB