Aust Gov't told to revamp rural communications policy

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 15 October 2008 08:48

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

Its overall conclusion was that "There have been dramatic improvements in telecommunications services in regional Australia in recent years [but] these services, specifically mobile services and the availability of broadband internet access, are still inadequate [and] we sometimes found the task of determining adequacy difficult due to a lack of reliable data."

A key focus of its recommendations is the universal service obligation which imposes on the designate USO carrier (Telstra) an obligation to provide the standard telephone service and payphones throughout Australia.

It considers the scope of this regime and the way it is managed no longer appropriate and calls for it to be broadened into "a set of standards that specify the services that should be available to all Australians — the 'Communications Services Standard' (CSS)... that would allow many consumer protection measures to be incorporated into a simpler framework that provides both industry and consumers with a secure footing for their investments and expectations."

It says this "bold new approach" would require "significant policy changes" such as: implementing the CSS framework for all Australia including, for the first time, mobiles and broadband services; government making and encourage the necessary investments to support the successful implementation of the CSS; improving market information and consumer awareness, and ongoing development of applications and peoples' skills to better utilise telecommunications.

It notes that at present, consumers have little redress against Telstra if they believe it has failed to meet its USO and wants this responsibility shifted to the minister.

"While the current USO framework is based on the concept that there will always be a carrier of last resort that consumers can obtain a service from, this is illusory in practice. The universal service provider can always legally refuse to supply a request for a service on the basis that supplying the service would require it to take steps which are not reasonable.

"The proposed CSS arrangements would effectively shift the legislative obligation from a telephone company, Telstra (as it is today), to the minister. The Minister would be required to implement measures to ensure the services are available."

There are also numerous recommendations calling on the federal government to work with state, territory and local governments on initiatives to improve communications services and to better co-ordinate federal and other initiatives.

The report notes that the complexities of the NBN have made it difficult for the committee to make specific recommendations in some areas and it intends to meet after the awarding of the NBN contract to consider the impact of the NBN on services in rural Australia.