Consumer Consultation in Australia

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Consumer Consultation in Australia

• Ms Teresa Corbin
• Executive Director
• Consumers Telecommunications Network

Prepared for ACMA International Training Program
2006
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About CTN

• The Consumers Telecommunications Network (CTN)
  is an independent non-profit community-based
  organisation in Australia. Established in 1989.
• We are an umbrella organisation with a membership
  of over 100 peak consumer bodies and individuals
  directly representing more than one million
  residential consumers in Australia.
• CTN is dedicated to representing the interests of
  residential consumers to improve the
  accessibility, availability and affordability of
  telecommunications products and services.
• CTN is an association member organisation of the
  Communications Alliance previously known as the
  Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF).

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Members

• Pensioners superannuants
• Low income consumers
• Families with children
• People with disabilities
• Womens groups
• Rural remote consumers
• Indigenous Australians
• Deaf consumers
• People from non English speaking backgrounds
• Individual members

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Vision

• That all Australians will have equitable,
  accessible and affordable telecommunications.

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Mission

• To understand telecommunications needs and issues
  and, on behalf of residential consumers represent
  these needs and issues to government and industry
  to achieve better outcomes.

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Role

• Advocate for inclusive processes so that consumer
  participation is optimised
• Raise awareness of consumer views
• Represent consumer interests in industry,
  regulatory, community, academic, research and
  standards setting forums

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Priorities

1. Working towards access and equity in the digital
   age
2. Maintaining interoperability quality of service
   levels
3. Optimising informed choice in an open competitive
   market
4. Achieving a balance between consumer
   shareholder interests
5. Supporting consumer participation in decision
   making
6. Ensuring consumers have access to free and fair
   dispute resolution mechanisms

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Representation

• Parliament (Minister, MPs, Senate Inquiries)
• Government - Department of Communications (DCITA)
• Australian Communications Media Authority
  (ACMA)
• Australian Competition Consumer Commission
  (ACCC)
• Standards Australia
• Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)
• Telephone Information Services Standards Council
  (TISSC)
• Communications Alliance Board
• Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF)
• Privacy Commission
• Human Rights Equal Opportunity Commission
  (HREOC)
• Australian Regulatory Protection Nuclear Safety
  Agency (ARPANSA)
• Service Provider Consumer Councils (Telstra
  Optus)
• International standards meetings e.g. the
  Global Standards Collaboration GSC

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Consumer Participation
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• In the last funded period 1 October 2005 30
  June 2006 CTN completed the following
• Contributed and tracked over 25 different
  regulatory and self regulatory reviews and
  inquiries completely in addition over 24 written
  submissions.
• CTN represented consumers at over 30 ACIF bodies
  including - working committees, working groups,
  reference panels and advisory Councils including
  the Consumer Council for over 80 meetings.
• Represented Consumers on 6 ACMA committees and
  for 12 meetings and ad hoc consultations.

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Consultation Mechanisms

• Policy Development through CTNs network of
  volunteers and member organisations
• CTN Council Portfolios
• Consumer Forums and Advocacy Training
• Publishing Quarterly Newsletter, weekly Web News
• Producing Policy and Discussion papers
• Maintaining a Website at www.ctn.org.au
• Facilitating Discussion Forums
• Hosting an Annual Conference Seminars
• Co-ordination through a small Secretariat in
  Sydney with a paid staff of five people
• Consumer Driven Research Projects

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Why Consumer Involvement ?

• Consumers participating in regulation can ensure
  that potential concern to end-users can be taken
  into account and adequately addressed.
• Concerns may include access, affordability,
  availability, health, safety, performance,
  quality, reliability, environmental protection,
  ease-of-use, backwards compatibility and
  interoperability.
• End-user contributions improve the likelihood of
  the successful marketability of a product.

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Principles Underpinning Consultation

• Valuing end-user Contributions
• Mutual Respect
• Inclusiveness
• Accessibility
• Clarity of understanding
• Transparency Accountability
• Responsibility
• Continual Review Evaluation

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Consultation in Australia

• Formal consultation processes are integrated into
  the self-regulatory framework created by the
  Australian Telecommunications Act 1997
• CTN has had 16 years experience of informing and
  consulting with residential users
• Consultation at the earliest possible stage is
  essential if undesirable outcomes are to be
  avoided and/or addressed
• CTN representatives are involved in committees
  drafting standards, guidelines and industry
  codes.
• CTN actively consults with government, regulators
  and industry representatives in order to get
  better outcomes for consumers.

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Resourcing Consultation

• The Australian Telecommunications Act 1997
  established a grants program for consumer
  advocacy and research funded by a levy drawn from
  carrier license fees. Applications are sort
  annually via a competitive tender process. CTN
  has received core funding for nearly 8 years.
• Representatives on the Australian Communications
  Industry Forum (ACIF) Consumer Council and the
  Disability Council receive sitting fees from this
  fund. ACIF also funds travel accommodation for
  its consumer representatives on committees and
  councils.
• ACMA pays for travel on its representative
  committees but no sitting fees. ACMA has in the
  past also funded specific projects and research.
  (e.g CTN international project)
• Telstra and Optus pay for travel and sitting fees
  for its consumer consultative groups
• ACMA will now also be able to fund consumer code
  development through additional levies on industry

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Consultative Bodies

• ACMA Consumer Consultative Forum
• ACMA Committees
• ACIF Consumer Council
• ACIF Reference Panels Working Committees
• ACCC Consumer Consultative Council
• TIO Council
• TISSC Council
• Standards Australia Council
• Telstra Consumer Consultative Council
• Optus Consumer Liaison Forum
• ARPANSA Electromagnetic Emissions Health
  Reference Group

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Different Bodies Different Roles

• ACMA Consumer Consultative Council
• Provides a forum to consult on regulatory issues
  particularly research. Consumer education,
  Quality of Service reporting, consumer protection
  and enforcement and compliance. Often more
  reactive.
• ACIF Consumer Council
• Provides a proactive forum to co-ordinate all
  the consumer participation in ACIF and work
  directly with industry to resolve consumer issues
  through self-regulatory mechanisms.
• Telstra Optus Consumer Councils
• Provides a carrier specific forum for
  consultation on product and service development
  and also to assist in fulfilling some carrier
  license conditions.

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Self Regulation

• The Communications Alliance (CA) previously
  known as Australian Communications Industry Forum
  (ACIF) facilitates industry self-regulation
  through the development of voluntary codes and
  standards. The name ACIF has been retained to
  refer to the section of the CA work which will
  continue to produce self-regulatory outputs.

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CTN represents consumers _at_ ACIF

• Consumer Codes of Practice
• Technical Standards
• Disability Standards
• Network Operations Codes Guidelines
• Industry Guidelines
• Consumer Information campaigns

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ACIF Consumer Consultation Framework

• 3 elected user representatives on ACIF Board
• Consumer Council (previously 9 representatives
  from different consumer sectors)
• Disability Council (9 Representatives from
  different disability peak organisations)
• Consumer Representation all Reference Panels
• Consumer Representation on relevant working
  committees drafting technical standards, industry
  codes and guidelines
• Consumer Rep. on Convergence Group

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• In the period 1 October 2005 30 June 2006 CTN
  contributed to development of
• 10 ACIF code reviews
• 1 new ACIF code
• 3 ACIF Standards
• 1 Industry Scheme
• 1 ACIF Guide
• Signed 6 certificates of mandatory consultation

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ACIF Consumer Council

• Some Sectors Represented
• Rural remote consumers
• Business Users
• Small enterprise users
• Ethnic Communities
• Older Consumers
• People with Disabilities
• Internet users
• Residential consumers

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ACIF Disability Council

• Some Sectors Represented
• Deaf Consumers
• People with Physical Disabilities
• People with Hearing Impairment
• Women with Disabilities
• Blind Citizens

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ACIF Reference Panels

• Consumer Issues Reference Panel
• 1 consumer representative (also the Deputy
  Chair) 1 small business user representative
• Operations Reference Panel
• 1 consumer representative, 1 business user
  representative
• Customer equipment and Cabling Reference Panel
• 1 consumer representative
• Network Reference Panel
• 1 consumer representative

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2006 Consumer Representation _at_ ACIF

• Caller Number Display Code Review
• Priority Assistance Industry Code
• VoIP Working Committee
• Call Charging Billing Accuracy Industry Code
• Mobile Telephone Terminals Standards Review
• Cordless Customer Equipment Standards Review
• Convergence Group
• Financial Hardship Guide Review
• Billing Industry Code Review
• Integrated Public Number Database Code
• Work soon to begin
• Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code
• (Single Consumer Code)

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2005 Consumer Representation _at_ ACIF

• Customer Transfer Industry Code Review
• Accessibility Features Information Code
• VoIP Information for Providers leaflet
• Credit Management Code Review
• Mobile Acoustic Safety Standard
• Local Number Portability Code Review
• Life Threatening Unwelcome Calls Code Review
• Mobile Messaging Working Group
• Connect Outstanding Industry Code

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Past Consumer Representation _at_ ACIF

• Consumer Contracts Code Review
• End-to end Network Performance Code
• Complaints Handling Code
• Mobile Number Portability Code
• Prices, Terms conditions Industry Code
• Disability Standard

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Consumer Driven Communications Project

• Objective To improve the effectiveness of
  consumer input and influence to the regulation
  and governance of the communications industry.
• CDC Project was funded by the Communications
  Regulator (ACA)

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Main Themes from CDC Project

• Consumer seek workable regulation and effective
  enforcement in the telecommunications industry to
  ensure that consumers get the products and
  services they need in an environment with
  adequate safeguards
• Regulatory bodies must offer consumer
  representatives avenues of early input into
  regulatory and code development and revision
  processes
• Appropriate funding of the consumer sector is
  essential in achieving the required level of
  input
• A comprehensive training and mentoring program is
  needed to broaden and strengthen the pool of
  consumer advocates
• The consumer sector can strengthen its voice and
  the effectiveness of its advocacy by improving
  the co-ordination of advocacy (wherever possible)
•  Consumers believe that the telecommunications
  industry will be enhanced by broadening and
  strengthening effective consumer participation in
  communications policy development

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Representational Cycle
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The Regulatory Pyramid
L.A.W.
Standards
Industry-wide
Enforced codes
Formal but voluntary
Competition can work
Sometimes we need educating
We live in communities
Most people do what is right
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UN Consumer Rights

• The Right to Safety
• The Right to be Informed
• The Right to Choose
• The Right to be Heard
• The Right to Satisfaction
• The Right to Education
• The Right to Redress
• The Right to a Healthy Environment

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Reviewing Consultation

• 2004 ACIF Review leads to procedural improvements
• 2005 Government funded Review of Consultation
• 2006 Moving to 2nd Generation Consumer
  Participation
• OUTCOMES for ACIFgt
• Smaller Consumer Council (9 members)
• Consumer Participation Framework Adopted
• Charter Implemented
• Better co-ordination and use of resources
  including consumer driven research
• Consumer Register established

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ACIF modelling Best Practice

• Public forum at the outset to inform all
  stakeholders including consumers, suppliers and
  regulators of issues and objectives
• Strict timeframe for completion of public comment
  draft and final publication
• Equal representation of consumer and supplier
  representatives on the development working
  committee
• Independent chair (not a supplier or consumer
  representative)
• Independent professional draftsperson
• Provision of daily sitting fee, transport and
  accommodation costs for consumer representatives
• resources for consumer representatives to liaise
  with each other during the code development via
  teleconferencing
• assistance for consumer representatives to
  consult with wider constituencies.

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Consumer Participation Framework

• The ACIF Consumer Participation Framework
  outlines the principles and operations for
  consumer organisation participation in ACIF.
• Existing ACIF Shared Values
• Teamwork
• Leadership
• Respect
• Impartiality
• Integrity
• Passion for outcomes

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ACIF Consumer Charter

• Partnership
• A commitment by stakeholders to shared
  responsibility for the quality of consumer
  participation and the outcomes achieved.
• Valuing all contributions and acknowledging wider
  partnership between ACIF, consumers and industry,
  regulators and governments.
• Mutual Accountability
• Accountability of the partners to each other
• Accountability of consumer representatives to
  their constituency
• Accountability of industry representatives to
  their constituency.
• Quality outcomes
• Commitment to quality outcomes which further
  consumer interests, research and fact-based
  advice.

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ACIF Consumer Charter

• Efficiency
• Commitment to furthering the consumer interest
  using resources efficiently time, labour and
  cost.
• Avoiding duplication in stakeholders effort.
• Partnering with external stakeholders to promote
  efficiency and quality outcomes. Commitment to a
  process of ongoing review and evaluation.
• Accessibility
• Commitment to inclusiveness and ensuring
  processes are accessible for all stakeholders.
• Ongoing Awareness
• Commitment to promote awareness of the Charter to
  all participants in ACIF

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Consumer Representatives

• The most valuable outcome of raised consumer
  awareness would be a greater level of
  participation by consumer volunteers
• How do we do this ?
• Engage on issues they care about !!

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Hot Issues 2006

1. VoIP (CTN current research ACIF Work)
2. Do Not Call Register
3. Bad Debts Default Listing
4. Telecommunications Protection Code (otherwise
   referred to as Single Consumer Code)
5. Complaints Handling
6. Payphones
7. Mobile Content Services
8. Consumer Consultation

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Hot Issues 2006

• Broadband Access
• Impact of T3
• Free Directory Assistance 1223
• CDMA Roll-back
• 13. Phishing, scams, spam, spyware
• 14. Access to Content
• 15. Consumer Education
• 16. Indigenous Community Access to Services

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Portfolios

• Rural, Regional Remote (includes CDMA Roll
  back)
• Disability Issues
• Emergency Services
• Next Generation Networks Internet Access
  (broadband roll-out VoIP)
• Mobiles Wireless Services (SMS MMS)
• Issues for Senior Consumers
• Affordability Issues for Low Income Consumers
• Universal Service Obligation (STS CSG)
• Issues for Indigenous Consumers
• Multicultural Diversity issues
• Competition Privatisation
• Consumer Consultation
• Issues for Women
• Consumer Education (Customer Information
  Directory Assistance)
• Complaints HandlingPrivacy (Telemarketing, Do not
  Call Register)
• Payphones
• Issues for Children Young Consumers
• Self Regulation (includes Single Consumer Code)
• Technical Standards Safety

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Previous Campaigns

• Universal Service
• Untimed Local Calls
• Free Directory Assistance
• Access for Rural Remote Consumers
• Access for People with Disabilities
• Consumer Participation
• Unfair Misleading Contracts
• Financial Hardship
• Privatisation of Telstra
• Emergency Service Provision

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Other Current Issues

• Quality of Service
• industry accountability compliance
• billing
• credit management
• selling practices
• competition policy
• call centres and telephone queues
• digital divide/digital dividend issues
• directory providers
• equipment standards setting
• privacy
• National Numbering Plan

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Emerging Technologies

• Wireless techologies
• M-commerce
• Next generation networks
• RFID Tags
• Security online (scams/viruses/hackers)
• IP Television
• Instant Messaging
• Australia Post Regulation

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Expanding Scope

• New consumer issues will arise as new content
  services, applications, wireless, digital and
  broadcasting technologies begin to have more
  widespread impact on consumers

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CTNS plays a role in gauging consumer
expectations
Consumer expectations

• More than just consumer information
• Adequate Safety Nets
• Robust consumer protection
• Enforceable regulation
• Strong regulator
• Security to try and buy new products and services

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Recent CTN Submissions
TIO Review Consumer Submission in August 2006
http//www.tio.com.au/TIOReview/TIOreviewmain.htm
Available On CTN Website http//www.ctn.org.au/c
ontent.cfm?ContentTypeContentContentID154 2006
May CTN Submission to the QoS-Based VoIP
Service Interconnectivity Discussion Paper. May 
CTN Submission to the Backing Indigenous Ability
Discussion Paper. April  CTN Submission to
Customer Service Guarantee Changes Discussion
Paper. April  CTN Submission to Improving
Identity Check Processes for Pre-paid Mobile
Services Discussion Paper. February CTN (Joint)
Submission to ACMA Consumer Consultative
Forum. February CTN Submission to Reimbursement
of Costs of Development of Consumer-Related
Industry Codes Discussion paper. February  CTN
Submission to Spam Act 2003 Review Issues
Paper. January CTN Submission to Mobile Premium
Services Code of Practice. January  CTN
Submission to the Broadband Connect and Clever
Networks Discussion Papers. January  CTN
Submission to Mobile Connect Discussion Paper.

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Recent CTN Submissions
Available On CTN Website http//www.ctn.org.au/c
ontent.cfm?ContentTypeContentContentID154  200
5 November  CTN Submission to Introduction of a
Do Not Call Register Possible Australian model
Discussion Paper. September CTN Submission to
the Inquiry into the Transition to Full Private
Ownership of Telstra, Amendments to the
Telecommunications, Future Proofing Other
Related Bills. September CTN Submission to the
Metropolitan Broadband Blackspots Program
Discussion Paper. April CTN Submission to the
Inquiry into the Performance of the Australian
Telecommunications Regulatory Regime. March CTN
Submisssion to Regulatory Issues Associated with
Provision of Voice Services Using Internet
Protocol in Australia Discussion Paper.

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More resources

• Subscribe to CTN Weekly Web News Quarterly
  Newsletter
• www.ctn.org.au
• CTN Hot Topics
• http//www.ctn.org.au/content.cfm
• CTN Latest Research
• CTN Consumer Research - Expectations and
  Experiences with Voice Over Internet Protocol
  (VoIP), March 2006 http//www.ctn.org.au/content.c
  fm?Live1ContentTypeContentContentID201
• ACIF Consumer Participation Documents
• http//www.acif.org.au/ACIF_documents/Consumer_Par
  ticipation
• ACA Consumer Driven Communications Project
• http//www.acma.gov.au/ACMAINTER.524610STANDARD
  pcPC_1661

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Contact

• Consumers Telecommunications Network
• Unit 2, 524-532 Parramatta Rd,
• Petersham NSW 2049
• www.ctn.org.au
• ctn_at_ctn.org.au
• Telephone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• TTY 61 2 9572 6047

ACMA International Training Program 2006