When in roam...charge fair prices says ATUG

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 12 March 2008 07:57

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

Willet said the ACCC believed the situation was improving "The Final Report does observe that competition in the retail market for international roaming services appears to be improving, with the increased availability of substitute services for consumers. These include prepaid international calling cards, SIM cards and mobile phone rentals.

"Further, the ACCC believes that market developments may drive greater price competition among mobile operators and improve price transparency and simplicity for end-users. These developments include advancements in technology that have allowed subscribers to select the network they roam on to, innovative pricing practices by carriers (such as 'lat rates' for world geographical zones), and new entrants in the wholesale roaming market."

The ACCC's inquiry also found that the information provided by mobile operators to consumers about the prices for, and the use of, international roaming has improved in recent years, but still fell short of being adequate, and the ACCC promised to work to improve this.

As with its 2007 campaign "Protect Australia's Competitive Telecommunications" (PACT) Atug has produced a button badge to promote Roam Fair and, closing her speech, Sinclair said "I am proud...to present our first badge to the minister [Stephen Conroy who followed Sinclair on the podium] who I am sure will eagerly play an important role in helping us with that campaign."

Conroy made no comment on the campaign in his speech but did not seem overly keen to sport the campaign button: he was seen handing it to his media advisor.