Two-year-old USO review lost inside NBN process

James Riley
Wednesday, 12 August 2009 15:29

IT Industry - Market

The federal coalition has renewed its calls for clarity on the future of the Universal Service Obligation system, saying a Government review had become mired in the complexities and delays of the National Broadband Network process.

Liberal Senate leader Nick Minchin says government had simply shelved the USO review, leaving people in regional and remote Australia with “no certainty” about access to basic services into the future.

For all the investment plans in a network of the future, people in the bush needed simple clarity about their telecommunications services, not just for fixed line services, but mobile phones and internet as well.

“The people of rural and regional Australia are looking for clarity and certainty, not only in relation to basic telephony, but also mobile telecommunications and broadband,” Senator Minchin told iTWire.

“The telecommunications sector also wants clarity in relation to future funding arrangements,” he said.

A review of the Universal Service Obligation scheme was initiated by former communications minister Helen Coonan, who called for public submissions to a review two years ago in August 2007.

The review received 47 submissions from the industry and public in October 2007, reflecting the considerable interest – and some unhappiness – with the current USO system. The Rudd Government was elected in December, and the USO review has been adrift since, Senator Minchin said.

The USO review was looking at recommendations for extended service guarantees that were put forward by the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee, headed by Dr Bill Glasson.

Glasson sought a new Customer Service Standard to be applied to voice, broadband, mobile phones and payphone services, a radical departure from the fixed-line only focus of the USO.

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