Report on Sydney Consumer Consultation Meeting, 19 August 2005
This Telecommunications Consumer Consultation Meeting was devised as a discussion and workshop following a day-long forum based on the topic of Convergence, Content, Carriage and Regulation. It was held at the Country Embassy, L44 Grosvenor Place, 225 George St, Sydney, from 9am to 5pm on 19 August 2005.
ISOC-AU would like to thank Director Cheryl Langdon-Orr for organising this event in conjunction with the Consumers' Telecommunications Network, Service Providers' Association, Australian Telecommunications Users' Group, and the NSW Department of State and Regional Development.
Participants were advised that this consultation process is supported by funding from the Department of Communications, IT and the Arts.
Forum Program
- Session 1: Falling Between the Cracks - Chair John Kranenberg, SPAN
- Address by NSW Department of State and Regional Development
- Tony Hill, ISOC-AU - Setting the Scene
- Shara Evans, Telsyte - Australian Consumer Voice over IP Sector
- Margaret Fleming, ACIF - The ACIF Convergence Group
- Session 2: Industry and Regional Perspectives - Chair Tony Hill, ISOC-AU
- John Kranenberg, SPAN - Service Providers and Convergence
- Derek Wilding, Communications Law Centre - Regulatory Domains and Current Activity
- Jane van Beelen, TELSTRA -
- Session 3: Consumer Perspectives - Chair Paul Morris
- Teresa Corbin, CTN -
- Gunela Astbrink, TEDICORE -
- Nan Bosler, Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association - The impact of Convergence On Senior Consumers
- Kristy Delaney, Youth Action & Policy Association NSW -
- Panel Discussion - Moderator Paul Morris, ATUG
- Facilitated Workship - Facilitator David Havyatt, AAPT
- Plenary
Discussion and Workshop Outcomes
Following the presentations the participants were asked to answer the simple question "To make convergence better industry/regulators/consumer groups need to ..."To commence the session the facilitator added to the proceedings of the day with this simple diagram of "convergence."
Figure 1 - Convergence
Two questions were asked:
1) Should the finance industry be included? and
2) is the real process one of divergence?
In response to the first question it was pointed out that all other industries, including agriculture, were being transformed by this activity, and finance (even micro-payments) wasn't especially different. In response to the second, the diagram showing the layering of the vertical industries was shown - concluding that each of the previously vertical industries was showing some separation between the layers.
Figure 2 - Divergence
The participant responses were then clustered to identify patterns of responses. The groupings are reflected as below.
Policy and Industry
The first stand out comment was that the group is looking for "leadership" from Government. This does not mean more regulation necessarily, nor direct investment, per se. It does mean the Government being an active participant in taking these discussions forward rather than a near passive observer.
Figure 3 - Policy Strand
The discussion around policy led into the areas of competition and interoperability, including for content services. And the important issue of facilitation of Australian content was discussed as a possible policy and/or funding issue for Government focus/participation.
Figure 4 - Competition
Figure 5 - Interoperability
The second stand-out request was to do something about complaints handling. There is a common belief that we are not creating a "simple effective framework for complaint handling under convergence" and ultimately industry should collectively respond to this point.
Figure 6 - Complaints
The next two big pieces revolved around areas where industry at least is doing some work. These were in defining Broadband standards (how we interpreted the NRP work) and the Consumer Council work on Community Impact.
Figure 7 - Broadband
Consumer Community Requirements
Figure 8 - Information
Figure 9 - Affordability
Figure 10 - Accessibility
The overall messages of the day were:
- The Government needs to become a more active participant in taking these discussions forward
- Progress needs to be made on the complaints-handling issue
- "Broadband" needs to be better defined
- Information, affordability and accessibility are the main issues affecting telecommunications consumers
Tony Hill
President, ISOC-AU
January 2006