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Legislative and regulatory actions in Australia

Gunela Astbrink
TEDICORE (Telecommunications and Disability Consumer Representation)

Overview of presentation

• Features of Australian market
  
• Legislation and regulation to support consumers
  
• Consumer participation and consultation
  
• Conclusion

Features of Australian market

• Large geographically but small in population (20 million people)
  
• Have been early adopters of technology
  
• Slower in broadband uptake
  
• Importer of technology
  
• Disability legislation
  
• Industry concerned that strict Australian accessibility regulations may impede overall ICT imports

Legislation

• Disability Discrimination Act (1992)
  
  • Relevant complaints
    
    • Scott vs Telstra case
      
    • Maguire vs SOCOG case
      
    • Hearing aids and GSM mobile phones
      
  • Disability Action Plans
    
  • Systemic action
    
    • Accessible e-commerce
      
    • Accessible Telecommunications Forum at Parliament House, November 2003

Legislation

• Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) 1999
  
  • Disability equipment provision
    
  • Universal Service Obligations
    
  • Customer Service Guarantee
    
  • Reference made to Disability Discrimination Act 1992

Regulation

• Existing: AS/ACIF S040:2001 Requirements for Customer Equipment for use with the Standard Telephone Service - Features for special needs of persons with disabilities
  
• Under development: Industry Code on information about accessible phone features for provision from suppliers to carriage service providers and then to consumers
  
• Industry Guidelines on accessible phone features

Consumer participation and consultation

• Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF) - industry self-regulatory body developing codes and standards
  
  • Disability Advisory Body
    
  • Any-to-any text connectivity
    
  • Next Generation Networks Framework Options Group
• Australian Communications Authority - government regulator
  
  • Consumer Liaison Forum
    
  • Australian User Standards Telecommunications Advisory Group
    
  • Consumer Driven Communications project

Consumer participation and consultation

• Telstra - Australia's largest carrier
  
  • Disability Forum
    
  • Consumer Advisory Group on the Disability Equipment Program
    
• Optus
  
  • Consumer Liaison Forum
    
• Government Inquiries
  
• Australian Telecommunications Network
  
• Broadband Competition
  
• Universal Service Obligations
  
• Regional telecommunications

Conclusion

Importance of

• Regional and international collaboration
  
• Sharing information and expertise
  
• Development of national and regional ICT Accessibility standards

 

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