Conroy postpones CDMA closure

TELSTRA will keep its CDMA mobile phone network operational for at least three months longer than its planned January 28 closure after the Rudd Government said it was unhappy with its replacement network.

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said it was not yet possible to “declare equivalence” between the CDMA coverage and the Next G network that replaces it – a condition of allowing Telstra to shut down the ageing CDMA system.

“I have notified Telstra today that at this point in time I am not in a position to declare equivalence between the Next G network and the CDMA networks,” Senator Conroy said.

“Telstra will provide me with advice within two weeks on how they will address the issues that have been identified, and report to me on the rectification to enable me to reconsider this matter.

“Telstra have advised me that this can be done by 28 April. This seems reasonable.”

Senator Conroy said that a report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) had found that while the coverage footprint of the Next G network was the equivalent of the CDMA system, some Next G handsets did not provide equivalent coverage.

“I appreciate that Telstra has been very active in working with customers affected by this situation, including exchanging handsets in genuine cases where this is required to give them equivalent coverage,” Senator Conroy said.

“I have made it clear to Telstra that it should continue to do everything possible to ensure that customers are using the correct Next G equipment. This should include replacing handsets at no financial penalty in genuine cases.”

Telstra Country Wide Group Managing Director Geoff Booth accepted the decision to postpone the CDMA closure and welcomed Senator Conroy ruling that the Next G Network provided equivalent network coverage footprint to the outgoing CDMA network.

“We have been on a path to resolve customer issues by 28 January and we were confident we would meet our deadline,” Mr Booth said.

“The Minister has made a different assessment but we are very pleased that he has given us a clear goal for closure, a process to get there, and a clear message to CDMA customers that they need to move quickly.”

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Feds relax VoIP customer service guarantee

THE Federal Communications department has released draft legislation that will remove most types of next-generation VoIP telephone services from the Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) regulatory regime.

The department is seeking public comment from the public and telecommunications companies on the proposed changes, which it says are designed to give maximum certainty to both the industry and to consumers.

The proposed legislative changes were drafted by the Communications after a 2005 report that recommended the CSG be limited to VOIP services supplied in fulfilment of the universal service obligation, or that were supplied as ‘primary services’ by a person who provides both the VOIP service and underlying carriage service.

The changes will be overseen by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

The department said it was not envisaged ACMA would be required to determine on a case-by-case basis which VoIP services were subject to the CSG and which were not. Rather, VoIP providers would interpret and apply the rules as they are relevant to their services and advise their customers accordingly in advance.

The aim of the changes is to provide certainty about how CSG rules apply to VOIP services. The main role the regulator will play is where customers enter a dispute with a VoIP provider about whether or not its service offering is exempt from the CSG.

With the increasing take-up of broadband services and improvements in VoIP technology, there has been increasing business and community interest in VoIP services.

Building on the Coalition’s 2004 election policy, Government undertook to review VoIP services within the existing regulatory framework, looking at issues related to VoIP in the broader context of emerging next generation networks.


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Service Stream wins massive Do Not Call deal

AS many as a million Australians are expected to immediately sign up for the new anti-telemarketing Do Not Call Register when it goes live in May, according to Communications Minster Helen Coonan.

Melbourne-based telecommunications specialist Service Stream was this month awarded a multi-million contract to build the Australian Government’s long-anticipated register.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority said Service Stream was awarded a contract to design and operate the register until 2011 following a month-long competitive tender process.

The Do Not Call Register was set up to give local consumers a mechanism for stopping telemarketers calling their home and mobile numbers. It is expected to be operational by May.

Senator Coonan said the register was a direct response to growing concern about the growth in the number of telemarketing calls and said government was preparing for massive initial demand for the opt-out service.

“The Do Not Call Register will provide peace of mind to individuals who are distressed or concerned by receiving large numbers of telemarketing calls,” Senator Coonan said.

“Based on overseas experience, we expect there will be a high level of demand for the register – as many as one million numbers could be registered in the first week alone,” she said. “It is therefore imperative that a robust Register is developed.

Government committed $33.1 million in the last federal Budget to establish and operate the register, and made the passage of enabling legislation through Parliament a priority to ensure the service was up and running as soon as possible.

“This is a significant step towards reducing the number of annoying unsolicited calls received by many Australians,” Senator Coonan said.

The Do Not Call Register is expected to be fully operational by no later than the end of May 2007. From that time, it will be unlawful, in the absence of consent, for telemarketers in Australia or overseas to contact a number listed on the register.

The Do Not Call Register legislation provides for telemarketers to submit their calling lists for checking against register.

ACMA has also released for public comment a draft determination setting out the arrangements for telemarketers accessing the register.

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