062/05
27 May 2005
Closer scrutiny for regional telecommunications
A new monitoring and reporting framework announced today by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, will give the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) better and more accurate information about the delivery of telecommunications services in regional Australia.
More targeted monitoring of telecommunications services in regional Australia is part of the Government’s $181 million response to the 39 recommendations of the Regional Telecommunications Inquiry (RTI).
The new measures implement recommendations 5.3 and 7.2 of the RTI – also known as the Estens Inquiry – and this takes the number of implemented recommendations to 29 with the remaining 10 well underway.
“The two new measures focus on availability, take-up and performance of services and require carriers to put in place more detailed record-keeping arrangements that can then be monitored by the ACA,” said Senator Coonan.
“In addition, the improved data collection on services in rural and regional Australia will now capture specific information about telecommunications services in remote Indigenous communities.
“The ACA will also use a case study approach to collect additional data about standard telephone services in remote Indigenous communities. This will involve visiting different sites and requesting information from Telstra about exchange service area performance.”
The RTI found that the ACA’s monitoring and reporting activities are generally adequate, but recommended improvements be made to allow for more meaningful consumer information and to make appropriate data available for future strategic reviews.
It also identified the need for more effective data collection and monitoring of telecommunications needs and services in remote Indigenous communities.
The ACA reviewed the existing industry monitoring and reporting framework before developing the new monitoring and data collection measures and produced a paper - Telecommunications Industry Monitoring and Reporting Arrangements – which is available at www.aca.gov.au.
Telecommunications service information collected under these arrangements will be reported on in the ACA’s Telecommunications Performance Report 2004–05.
The ACA will continue to monitor consumer satisfaction service experience through consumer surveys and complaints information.