Comms Alliance to set up independent telco 'policeman'

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 07 September 2011 20:30

IT Policy - Regulation

Communications Alliance has pre-empted release by the ACMA of the final version of its 'Reconnecting the Customer' enquiry - scheduled for 9 September - by revealing some provisions of its yet-to-be released Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP), including a proposed independent compliance monitoring body.

 

Ever since he announced the enquiry over a year ago ACMA chairman, Chris Chapman, has repeatedly flagged that the result will be tighter regulation,  a move that Comms Alliance has repeatedly opposed.

A key feature of the new TCP code - "A new independent body, with consumer representation...to monitor service providers' compliance with the Code, work with providers on any weaknesses and, where necessary, refer problems to the ACMA for potential enforcement action" - appears to be a last ditch attempt by the industry to avoid the imposition of additional regulation.

However with the final report of the ACMA enquiry due out on Friday, and no firm date for release of the draft TCP code, it may prove to be a case of too little, too late.

In a statement announcing the new body and other features of the code, Comms Alliance said: "The telecommunications industry is planning to implement a 'unit-pricing' scheme to help consumers easily compare pricing before purchasing mobile phone plans'¦It is among a raft of improvements to the Code that will strengthen consumer protections, improve the information provided to consumers and take positive action to prevent so-called 'bill shock'."

Speaking at the ACCAN Conference in Sydney yesterday, Communications Alliance CEO, John Stanton, said the proposed Code provision would see 'unit pricing for standard national calls, SMS and data usage spelled out in large print advertisements for post-paid mobile phone plans with included-value, the so-called 'cap' plans).

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