CTN WebNews Edition #248
Monday, 25 May, 2009 _________
CTN advocates on behalf of residential consumers of telecommunications in the development of national telecommunications policy.
Our website is www.ctn.org.au _________
CONTENTS
1. Hot Topic on the CTN Website: Mobile Premium Service Regulatory Developments 2. Government empowers communications consumers 3. Federal Court declares Cardcall engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct 4. ACMA grants final authorisation to Australian Local Directories Pty Ltd to use IPND data for public number directory 5. Scammers more active than ever: ACCC 6. NBN announcement 'momentous' says ACCC 7. Dedicated TIO bushfire & flood assistance number 8. FTTH benefit calcs too hard, says consultant 9. Fire phone alerts proposed in 2001 10. Mobile phone innovation to help weight management 11. Bereaved brother's bill complaint 12. Answer to absolutely everything gets closer 13. Australian broadband third most expensive in OECD 14. Toxic Australian e-waste dumped on China 15. Peak US telecoms industry body predicts first global ICT downturn 16. Academics tot up costs of mobiles 17. Conferences and Events
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1. Hot Topic on the CTN Website: Mobile Premium Service Regulatory Developments
CTN has welcomed the suite of new regulations which will apply to mobile premium services, announced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority last week. Consumers have won a protracted battle over 5 years for basic community safeguards to apply to mobile premium services, such as requiring genuine consent to subscription services and the ability to bar these services.
Go to: http://www.ctn.org.au/content.cfm
See also: The mobile phone industry has been sent a clear message to purge misleading practices and improve consumer protection. "New enforceable rules will provide a better deal for consumers when it comes to services such as premium messages," the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy said.
Go to: http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/045
And also: Mobile phone users will be told the true cost of "premium" message services under sweeping new rules from July 1 that aim to prevent teenagers running up huge bills.
Go to: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/05/18/1242498702728.html
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2. Government empowers communications consumers
The Rudd Government will provide $2 million annually to raise the voice of consumers in the communications sector.
Go to: http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/046
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3. Federal Court declares Cardcall engaged in misleading and deceptive conduct
The Federal Court today declared that international phone card seller Cardcall had engaged in misleading or deceptive conduct in breach of the Trade Practices Act 1974.
Go to: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/873420/fromItemId/142
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4. ACMA grants final authorisation to Australian Local Directories Pty Ltd to use IPND data for public number directory
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has granted a final authorisation to Australian Local Directories Pty Ltd to use and disclose data from the Integrated Public Number Database (the IPND) to publish 14 public number directories.
Go to: http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_311734
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5. Scammers more active than ever: ACCC
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has seen a continuation in the growth of consumer scam activity into 2009, ACCC Deputy Chair, Mr Peter Kell, said today.
Go to: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/873334
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6. NBN announcement 'momentous' says ACCC
"The most momentous policy initiative in the Australian telecommunications sector since the introduction of full competition over a decade ago," was how Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, described the National Broadband Network announcement to the ATUG 2009 Regional Conference in Canberra today.
Go to: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/873252
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7. Dedicated TIO bushfire & flood assistance number
Have you been affected by the recent bushfires or floods and have a complaint that you cannot resolve with your service provider? If so, call the TIO's dedicated number on 1800 046 686. Your call will be put through to the disaster helpline team. Alternatively you can email the team at bfa@tio.com.au.
Go to: http://www.tio.com.au/bushfire%20and%20flood.html
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8. FTTH benefit calcs too hard, says consultant
A recent report commissioned to take a peek into the benefits of smart technologies has shied away from putting a number on the economic benefits coming from the government's $43 billion fibre-to-the-home project due to "insufficient data".
Go to: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/FTTH-benefit-calcs-too-hard-says-consultant/0,130061791,339296567,00.htm?ocid=nl_TNB_22052009_fea_l7&omnRef=1337
See also: Communications Alliance, the peak body for the Australian communications industry, today declared its NBN Industry Connection Forums a resounding success and said there was strong agreement on the industry's priorities as it prepares to transition to the broadband environment.
Go to: http://www.commsalliance.com.au/__data/page/21835/Comms_Industry_Connects_at_NBN_Forums_200509_FINAL.pdf
And also: Shadow Communications Minister Nick Minchin has attacked the government over reports that the expert panel didn't give any advice on the viability of its $43 billion fibre-to-the-home plan.
Go to: http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communications/soa/NBN-panel-didn-t-discuss-43bn-NBN-ROI/0,130061791,339296508,00.htm
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9. Fire phone alerts proposed in 2001
The Victorian and federal governments were urged to adopt a successful telephone-based emergency alert system seven years before Black Saturday, when wildfires engulfed a number of communities before warnings could be given through the media and over the internet.
Go to: http://www.australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,25533232-15306,00.html
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10. Mobile phone innovation to help weight management
Tasmania's Deputy Premier Lara Giddings this week celebrated the development of an innovative mobile phone project designed to help people manage their weight. Ms Giddings said the new product, Weight Management Mentor, links into the CSIRO's Total Wellbeing Diet and collects health management information and provides users with feedback and motivation. Go to: http://www.amta.org.au/?Page=2171
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11. Bereaved brother's bill complaint
Since our story about a one cent bill, we've been inundated with complaints from other Telstra customers, including one man who's been receiving bills for his dead brother. Today Tonight tried to speak to someone in person at the Telstra HQ in Sydney, but when asked for the head of customer complaints, the receptionist wasn't sure who to call.
Go to: http://au.todaytonight.yahoo.com/article/5584746/consumer/bereaved-brother-complaint
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12. Answer to absolutely everything gets closer
How long would it take an auctioneer to speak 6000 words? What was the weather in Beijing on the day Kevin Rudd was born? How many Americans are named Andrew? Google and Wikipedia flounder with such questions, but a new search engine called Wolfram Alpha has the tech world abuzz with the promise of more than linking to countless web pages or canvassing a broad topic.
Go to: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2009/05/17/1242498638305.html
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13. Australian broadband third most expensive in OECD
Australia has the third most expensive broadband services in the OECD, and an over-quota data prices an order of magnitude higher than any other OECD member, according to its latest broadband statistics.
Go to: http://www.itwire.com/content/view/25140/127/
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14. Toxic Australian e-waste dumped on China
Illegal shipments of electronic waste from Australian homes - old computers, televisions and mobile phones - have been seized from cargo vessels, part of a little-known smuggling trade that fuels child labour and toxic pollution in China.
Go to: http://www.smh.com.au/news/home/technology/toxic-australian-ewaste-dumped-on-china/2009/05/21/1242498903771.html
See also: Global electricity networks could become smart grids that can help us monitor and control our energy usage, if plans from net firm Cisco take off.
Go to: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8056083.stm
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15. Peak US telecoms industry body predicts first global ICT downturn
For the first time in its 23 years of existence the US Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) is forecasting a 3.1 decline in the global ICT Industry in 2009. The good news is that it is also forecasting modest growth in 2010 and a strong rebound after that, driven in the US at least by increasing speed and penetration of broadband services.
Go to: http://www.itwire.com/content/view/25194/127/
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16. Academics tot up costs of mobiles
Mathematicians and scientific advisers from Oxford University have helped develop a price comparison website for mobile phone users. BillMonitor has become the first mobile phone comparison site to be accredited by the communications regulator Ofcom.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8063615.stm
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17. Conferences and Events
Vision Australia workshops - May, Sydney
Vision Australia is running their popular Benefits & Issues and Web Accessibility Techniques workshop in Sydney on May 27 & 28, 2009:
Web Accessibility Benefits and Issues Workshop- 27th May (afternoon)
Hear about the business benefits of web accessibility. Get an overview of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, including the new WCAG 2.0 standard. Learn how people with disabilities use the web. Suitable for policy makers, business, communications and web managers. No HTML skills needed.
Go to: http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=171>
Web Accessibility Techniques Workshop- 28th May (full day)
An overview of accessibility problems and solutions based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (an international standard). Suitable for web managers, project managers, team leaders, web writers, programmers and designers. Basic HTML skills are helpful.
Go to: http://www.visionaustralia.org.au/info.aspx?page=1653&event=172
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2009 AFCCRA Conference
The 2009 AFCCRA Conference will be held in Melbourne at Rydges Hotel, 186 Exhibition Street. AFCCRA's annual conference is held in conjunction with the External Disputes Resolution Schemes' annual forum for consumer representatives. The External Disputes Resolution Forum will be held on Tuesday 28 July 2009, followed by the AFCCRA Conference on Wednesday 29 July and the AFCCRA Financial Literacy and Inclusion Forum on Thursday 30 July. Programs for the three days are being drafted and will be available soon.
Go to: http://www.afccra.org/conferences.htm
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ACCC Regulatory Conference - 30 - 31 July 2009
The tenth ACCC Regulatory Conference will be held on Thursday 30th and Friday 31st July 2009 at the Holiday Inn, Gold Coast, Queensland Australia. The theme for the conference is the Regulation of Infrastructure in a Time of Transition.
Go to: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/861204
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Hearing Awareness Week 2009 Sunday 23 August - Saturday 29 August 2009
Theme: At home At work At play - One in Six. One in six Australians suffer from some form of hearing loss. Where: Events such as hearing screening and information days held around the country. Check website for calendar of events in your area. Free posters for the week will be available from the national secretariat in late May. To place your order for posters please contact Deafness Forum at info@deafnessforum.org.au Deafness Forum is the National coordinating body for Hearing Awareness Week
Go to: www.hearingawarenessweek.org.au
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Communications Policy & Research Forum 2009 - 19 - 20 November 2009
Interest areas include ICT, digital media, telecommunications broadcasting, communications culture, Internet and e-commerce. It is a research-oriented forum open to all viewpoints; a co-operative effort by policy and research centres. It is also a national meeting-place for researchers in all sectors. The deadline for submitting proposals and abstracts is Friday 26 June 2009.
Go to: http://www.networkinsight.org/events/cprf09.html/group/6
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CTN Consumer Advocacy Calendar
The events above are just some of the events included in the CTN Consumer Advocacy Calendar. The CTN Consumer Advocacy Calendar is designed to help interested parties keep track of events hosted by consumer groups, community organisations, government departments, telecommunications companies and CTN Members.
To view the CTN Consumer Advocacy Calendar go to: http://www.ctn.org.au/content.cfm?ContentType=Content&ContentID=397
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We hope that this edition of WebNews has been of interest. Although we take care to direct subscribers to sites with accurate and reliable content, we advise that CTN is not responsible for the content within external sites and has no control over the views, services or information contained in these sites.
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Warm regards and best of luck with the week ahead.
The Consumers' Telecommunications Network Unit 2, 524-532 Parramatta Road Petersham NSW 2049 Tel: (02) 9572 6007 Fax: (02) 9572-6014 TTY: (02) 9572-6047 www.ctn.org.au
The Consumers' Telecommunications Network representation of residential and other consumers' interests in relation to telecommunications issues is supported by the Commonwealth through the Grants to fund Telecommunications Consumer Representations' program of the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.
