The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications has invited public comment on the final tranche of reforms to telecommunications consumer safeguards, intended to develop consumer protections for the modern telecommunications market.
The Department said its final consultation paper Consumer Safeguards Review consultation—Part C: Choice and fairness, considered how best to provide choice and fairness in the consumer-provider relationship.
“The Review is looking at what rules are needed to safeguard consumers and small businesses beyond 2020,” the Department said.
“Part C of the Review sets out four proposals focused on improving choice and fairness in the consumer-telco relationship,” it said.
“The consultation paper also seeks stakeholder views on existing obligations (mainly associated with traditional phone services over the Telstra copper network) that may no longer be needed or may not be operating effectively.”
The Department said the consumer safeguards currently in place were mostly designed around fixed-line voice services delivered over the existing copper telephone network which was being largely replaced.
“The Department is interested in views about the best way to make consumer protection rules, what the content of the rules should be, and how they can best be enforced,” it said.
It said the Review was seeking opinions on whether the code-making process was working as effectively as it could; whether codes were made quickly enough; how good industry compliance was with codes; do the rules cover the right matters; was there a case for change to the rule-making process and enforcement; and should any existing rules be removed.
Submissions will be accepted until 24 August and the Department’s 39-page consultation paper can be accessed at this PS News link.
