Senator the Hon Helen Coonan

Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts

Testing 1, 2, 3

Launch of ENUM Trial

Melbourne

Thursday 5 May 2005

Thank you Adrian [Kinderis, Managing Director AusRegistry].

Good afternoon everyone. It is great to be in Melbourne to launch this groundbreaking trial.

As you have heard, over the next 12 months a new numbering technology is being tested by the ACA, in conjunction with AusRegistry and marks the beginning of an exciting new phase for communications in Australia.

ENUM is an important illustration of what is happening as the Internet and telecommunications worlds converge, and will be an important test of one possible way of building interoperability.

Change & challenge

Communications is a dynamic area of growth.

As Minister I am determined to keep building the Australian telecommunications sector and creating a healthy and competitive market.

The signs are good that our telecommunications sector is growing, and I will continue to ensure that the policies underpinning the development of the sector encourage innovation, investment and growth.

In an industry of great change and challenge, it is important that our policies are based on strong guiding principles and have clear objectives.

Our policies have two key aims.

First, they focus on building Australia’s capacity to develop products and services.

And second, they aim to ensure the wide-spread adoption of technologies to transform business and enhance the nation’s overall competitiveness.

These are essential elements to success.

Of course, there is no point having the policies without backing them up with action. And this includes encouraging innovation, and trialling new technologies like ENUM.

Emerging technologies and converging technologies are the driving factors behind the continuing evolution of the industries in my portfolio.

The rapid take-up of broadband, the continuing development of Internet-based services, and the rejuvenation of telecommunications networks as they convert to IP-based switching are introducing major changes to the communications landscape.

And we can expect to see more changes in the future.

VoIP

At this stage, small-to-medium enterprises and consumer take-up of VoIP remains low but market research indicates increasing interest from these sectors - particularly as broadband access improves and consumers become more confident with the technology.

It is already clear that the corporate sector is moving rapidly to adopt IP-based communications networks, including voice services.

These networks are reported to have almost doubled between 2003 and 2004, and there are predictions that two-thirds of all business and government voice networks will be IP-based by 2007.

It is therefore important the regulatory settings are optimal to encourage the development of such networks and stimulate competition in newly developed and emerging markets.

The Australian Government is working hard to achieve this.

For example, in last year’s election policy we stated that we would review and if necessary legislate to remove barriers to entry for next generation services, such as VoIP.

There has been a good response to the consultative process launched at the end of last year in which the ACA, the ACCC and my Department raised issues and invited comments.

I will be considering the policy and regulatory frameworks for VoIP services in Australia, and I look forward to making announcements on this in the near future.

It is essential that we gather information from key activities like this trial, so that Australia can really work new technologies to our social and economic advantage.

The Trial

This is the first ENUM trial to be conducted in Australia and indeed the southern hemisphere.

While a small number of successful trials have been conducted in Europe and Asia, and some trials are underway in North America, we now have the opportunity to test this technology and gain ‘hands on’ experience in its implementation, operation and development.

This includes gaining a better understanding of the different business models of applications that can make use of the service.

And of course, it will also be necessary to consider which regulatory regime is appropriate to administer ENUM services to ensure that related services remain competitive, that minimum standards are met, and that commercial opportunities are exploited.

Given its potential to provide a range of services, ENUM technology has the ability to provide several new opportunities for the Australian industry to participate directly in the development of national and international applications, services and infrastructure.

The introduction of a national ENUM service may also enhance the efficiency of the Australian industry in ways that are yet to be appreciated.

I therefore encourage industry members to get on board and participate in the trial so that these commercial benefits can be fully realised.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank everyone involved in the trial - your skill and expertise are essential for a successful outcome.

I look forward to keeping up to date with your progress, and learning more from the results.

Conclusion

It is now my pleasure to officially launch the ENUM trial.

Thank you.

A 98% increase reported by IDC.
Frost & Sullivan estimate that IP telephony will make up 69% of the large business/corporate sector by 2007.