The Government has offered Australia's three mobile operators, and vividwireless, renewal of their existing spectrum allocated on 15 year licences in the late 90s and early 2000s at set prices, while the Government expects to rake in $3 billion.
Well, $87,000 is not all that much. Surely some of the other consumer representation groups will be pumping in money of their own, because the initial government grant has already had its funding allocated.
Senator Conroy noted that: “The funds will cover costs associated with obtaining legal advice, logo and branding development, website development, a human resources consultancy for wages benchmarking and project management and sitting fees.”
Well, I look forward to see what this new consumer telecommunications body will do, what education and information it will provide to Australian consumers, and what messages it will relay to Government.
Indeed I wish this body the very best of success. It just that, at the moment, Australian consumers on all fronts seem to be but mere pawns in a much larger game, with consumer considerations at the bottom of the list, despite Government rhetoric about "better informed consumers".
Let’s hope the peak body that is born from the Consumers’ Telecommunications Network truly makes an impact when talking to Government – and let us hope it never hears a “busy” signal, despite having the support of the Minister and Goverment funds to help set it up.
David Bass
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