Consumers group call for tighter control of VoIP providers

Stuart Corner
Tuesday, 28 March 2006 16:08

Business IT - Technology

The Consumers' Telecommunications Network (CTN) is calling for enforcement action "to ensure VoIP service providers comply with all applicable regulations and legislation, specifically legislation to halt misleading and deceptive conduct and advertising."

The call comes following a CTN survey, the results of which will be released at its annual conference, today 29 March, in Sydney.

Executive director, Teresa Corbin, said: "We've identified key issues emerging from the use of VoIP in the residential market in Australia, and our report clearly shows that extra regulatory attention is urgently needed".

The report makes a number of recommendations:
- Customer Service Guarantees and industry standards must address problems with VoIP call quality and connection performance as well as broadband services.
- Close monitoring of competition in the VoIP market, including international suppliers, is essential to keep costs low and encourage more functionality of services.
- Universally accessible and effective VoIP equipment, software and technical support need to be available so that all Australian consumers can use VoIP.
-  A registered industry code of practice for VoIP providers must be developed and implemented to ensure that consumer protection issues are addressed proactively, and to set a strong precedent for future convergent technologies that emerge in Australia.

CTN surveyed online 87 VoIP users, comprised of a mix of CTN members and participants in the VoIP forum on www.whirlpool.net.au. The majority (74.7 percent) were under the age of 50, and 93 percent were male. Thirty six percent of VoIP users surveyed had already replaced a standard telephone line or mobile phone with a VoIP service.

Astratel (31 percent), Oztell (27.6 percent) and engin (23 percent) were the three most commonly used VoIP providers, but respondents listed 44 different providers. Forty four percent had used overseas VoIP providers.

The majority of VoIP users surveyed had experienced echo (75.9 percent), noise (62.1 percent) or voice dropout (60.9 percent) during VoIP calls, and over 20 percent had trouble connecting to landlines and mobiles.

Twenty percent of VoIP users surveyed had security concerns with their VoIP service, with call interception topping the list at 17.2 per cent.