Drafts for Public Comment
In the course of preparation of a Communications Alliance Publication, a draft is released for public comment. Immediately below is/are the current draft(s) that is/are available for public comment. Drafts may be downloaded and reviewed off-line.Want to submit a comment on a draft document?
You can use the Submit Comments form to submit your comments via email or go to the Contact Us webpage to obtain other contact methods such as by post or fax.All submissions received will be made publicly available on the Communications Alliance website unless the submitter requests otherwise.
Current Drafts for Public Comment
Once a period for public comment has ended the usual process is for the group that developed the draft (e.g. a Working Committee) to review any public comments on the draft and then work towards consensus on the content of the document, leading to publication of the document.
Expired Drafts for Public Comment
Once a period for public comment has ended the usual process is for the group that developed the draft (e.g. a Working Committee) to review any public comments on the draft and then work towards consensus on the content of the document, leading to publication of the document.
The documents listed below are drafts on which the period for public comment has ended. These documents are provided for reference.
COMMENT SOUGHT ON DR C564:2024 MOBILE PHONE BASE STATION DEPLOYMENT INDUSTRY CODE
The Code is designed to:
- allow the community and councils to have greater participation in decisions made by Carriers when deploying mobile phone base stations; and
- provide greater transparency to local community and councils when a Carrier is planning, selecting sites, installing and operating Mobile Phone Radiocommunications Infrastructure.
- updates to how information is collected and used by Carriers to ensure alignment with the Privacy Act and the Australian Privacy Principles;
- consolidated timeframes for consultation with Council’s and Interested and Affected Parties;
- refreshed consultation notification templates along with amendments to how stakeholders are notified;
- removal of Appendix A and references to the Precautionary Approach. (This change aligns with the recently updated Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA) Standard for Limiting Exposure to Radiofrequency Fields – 100 kHz to 300 GHz and the principles recommended by the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).
All submissions received will be made publicly available on the Communications Alliance website unless the submitter requests otherwise.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD CLOSED AT 5:00 P.M. (AEDST) ON FRIDAY 5 JULY 2024
COMMENT SOUGHT ON DR C570:2024 MOBILE NUMBER PORTABILITY INDUSTRY CODE
The draft C570:2024 Mobile Number Portability Industry Code is designed to provide procedures between Mobile Carriers (MC) and CSPs to enable a Customer to retain their mobile number when transferring from one CSP to another or changing MC Networks.
The Code
- sets out the operational procedures for the implementation of MNP processes, in situations where there is a change in the Mobile Carrier Network; and
- sets minimum acceptable practices (including timeframes to Port and to ensure end-to-end connectivity and call completion) which do not unnecessarily limit industry’s ability to improve on the minimum level.
You can use the Submit Comments form to submit your comments via email or go to the Contact Us webpage to obtain other contact methods such as by post or fax.
All submissions received will be made publicly available on the Communications Alliance website unless the submitter requests otherwise.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD CLOSED AT 5:00 P.M. (AEDST) ON FRIDAY 8 MARCH 2024
COMMENT SOUGHT ON DR C657:2024 INBOUND NUMBER PORTABILITY INDUSTRY CODE
The draft C657:2024 Inbound Number Portability Industry Code is designed to describe the minimum operational procedures between Carriers/Carriage Service Providers (jointly CSPs) and other industry participants for the implementation of Inbound Number Portability (INP).
The Code sets out inter-Carrier/CSP and other industry participants’ operational procedures for the implementation of Inbound Number Portability (INP) processes.
All submissions received will be made publicly available on the Communications Alliance website unless the submitter requests otherwise.
You can use the Submit Comments form to submit your comments via email or go to the Contact Us webpage to obtain other contact methods such as by post or fax.
All submissions received will be made publicly available on the Communications Alliance website unless the submitter requests otherwise.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD CLOSED AT 5:00 P.M. (AEDST) ON FRIDAY 8 MARCH 2024
Comment sought on DR C555:2023 Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) Industry Code
The IPND is an industry-wide database of all Public Number Customer Data (PNCD). The IPND serves as a repository of PNCD which broadly includes the Number, the Customer name, service address and Directory Related Services’ information which can be used, for example, to assist in the provision of emergency services and law enforcement. The IPND has the benefit of simplifying the provision of, and access to personal information necessary to manage public safety and well-being.
Proposed amendments to the Code in this 2023 revision include:
clarification of a CSPs obligations relating to recording and maintaining the accuracy of the Customers List Code;
- clarification of the use of International Numbers;
- arrangements for International Emergency Assistance Call Monitoring Centres that make International Originated Emergency Assistance Calls into Australia and information required to be included in the IPND;
- an obligation for CSPs to advise the IPND Manager if their data provision arrangements or CSP Code changes;
- updates to provisions relating to CSPs keeping the IPND Manager notified of any changes to contact details;
- clarification of the process if a CSP inadvertently overwrites another CSPs records.
You can use the Submit Comments form to submit your comments via email or go to the Contact Us webpage to obtain other contact methods such as by post or fax.
All submissions received will be made publicly available on the Communications Alliance website unless the submitter requests otherwise.
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD CLOSED AT 5:00 P.M. (AEDST) ON FRIDAY 24 NOVEMBER 2023
Comments
- ACCAN (213.3 KB)
- IPND Manager (209.2 KB)
- Pivotel (105.5 KB)
One confidential submission received
Have Your Say: Revised Online Safety Industry Codes, Second Consultation Round
Six industry associations, including Communications Alliance, that represent the online industry in Australia have commenced a short second round of consultation on the draft online safety codes that opens today. Australia’s Online Safety Act 2021, which came into effect in January 2022, requires the development of codes by industry associations to regulate certain types of harmful online material, known as Class 1A and 1B material with reference to Australia’s classification scheme. This includes material promoting child sexual abuse, terrorism, extreme crime and violence, crime and violence, and drug-related content.
We have launched a second public consultation process today, inviting feedback on the draft codes that are available on the consultation website at www.onlinesafety.org.au. Feedback is proactively being sought from key stakeholders including consumer organisations, a diverse range of civil society groups, academics and industry. It is a public consultation and as such we encourage you to forward this on to other relevant stakeholders who may wish to contribute.
Hasn’t consultation on the codes already taken place?
Yes. In September 2022, industry associations launched a public consultation process on the draft codes.
- We published a response to submissions, explaining how industry responded to feedback received in the consultation in the draft codes submitted for registration.
- The draft codes were submitted to the regulator on the requested due date,18 November 2022, with a request for registration document and the response to submissions.
- eSafety provided a preliminary assessment of each the draft codes on 9 February (which can be found on this webpage), requesting that additional feedback be considered by industry prior to the codes being resubmitted to eSafety by 9 March 2023 to better address community expectations.
- The industry associations requested an extension to conduct a second 30-day public consultation on the draft codes to give the community and stakeholders an opportunity to express their views on the newly revised codes following the Commissioner’s feedback.
- An extension was granted by eSafety to resubmit the codes on 31 March 2023. This allows a two-week period of public consultation.
What happens after the second consultation period?
Once finalised, the Consolidated Industry Codes of Practice for the Online Industry, Phase 1 (class 1A and class 1B material) will be resubmitted with an updated request for registration to the eSafety Commissioner. Registered codes are enforceable by the Commissioner.
Is there anything else I should know about the draft codes?
The draft codes must cover a wide range of participants that operate in the online environment, including providers of social media, messaging, search engine and app distribution services, as well as internet and hosting service providers, and manufacturers and suppliers of any equipment that connects to the internet, including smart devices and computers. It is important to note that they also cover operators of all websites that can be accessed by Australian users.
The draft codes released today have been informed by research into community attitudes, industry working groups, and expert consultation, and significant input from eSafety; including through its September 2021 Position Paper.
How do I participate in the consultation?
You can download the draft codes at www.onlinesafety.org.au. Submissions should be uploaded to that website, and will be accepted until 23 March 2023.
We look forward to hearing your views, and can be contacted via hello@onlinesafety.org.au should you have any questions.
The industry associations can be contacted via hello@onlinesafety.org.au should you have any questions.
Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA)
BSA | The Software Alliance (BSA)
Communications Alliance
Consumer Electronics Suppliers Association (CESA)
Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI)
Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA)
Comment sought on new Online Safety Codes
Six industry associations, including Communications Alliance, that represent the online industry in Australia have released new online safety codes for public consultation. Australia’s Online Safety Act 2021, which came into effect in January 2022, requires the development of codes by industry associations to regulate certain types of harmful online material, known as Class 1A and 1B material with reference to Australia’s classification scheme. This includes material promoting child sexual abuse, terrorism, extreme crime and violence, crime and violence, and drug-related content.
Once finalised, the Consolidated Industry Codes of Practice for the Online Industry, Phase 1 (class 1A and class 1B material) will be submitted for registration to the eSafety Commissioner. Registered codes are enforceable by the Commissioner. The draft codes released today have been informed by input from the Office of the eSafety Commissioner reflected in their September 2021 Position Paper.
The draft codes must cover a wide range of participants that operate in the online environment, including providers of social media, messaging, search engine and app distribution services, as well as internet and hosting service providers, and manufacturers and suppliers of any equipment that connects to the internet, including smart devices and computers. It is important to note that they also cover operators of all websites that can be accessed by Australian users.
The associations have launched a public consultation process today, inviting feedback on the draft codes that are available on a new consultation website at www.onlinesafety.org.au. Feedback is proactively being sought from key stakeholders including consumer organisations, a diverse range of civil society groups, academics and industry.
The draft codes and an accompanying explanatory memorandum can be downloaded at www.onlinesafety.org.au. Submissions should be uploaded to that website (i.e. not to the Comms Alliance website). The consultation period runs from 1 September to 2 October, 2022.
The industry associations can be contacted via hello@onlinesafety.org.au should you have any questions.
Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA)
BSA | The Software Alliance (BSA)
Communications Alliance
Consumer Electronics Suppliers Association (CESA)
Digital Industry Group Inc (DIGI)
Interactive Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA)
Comment Sought on Revised C647:2022 nbn Access Transfer Industry Code
Communications Alliance is seeking public comment on a revised nbn Access Transfer Industry Code.
The nbn Access Transfer Code is designed to:
(a) specify operational principles which will enable the Transfer of an active NBN Service between RSPs;
(b) establish minimum operational requirements on RSPs, Access Seekers and NBN Co, in the Transfer of an active NBN Service between RSPs;
(c) minimise Customer impacts during the Transfer of an active NBN Service between RSPs
The revised C647:2022 nbn Access Transfer Industry Code seeks to:
- introduce industry wide processes to enable the use of a 15-digit AVC ID in the transfer of Customer services between providers on the NBN;
- introduce obligations relating to the display, access and availability of the AVC ID;
- provide proposed timeframes for the commencement of clauses relating to the development, display and mandatory use of AVC IDs across industry; and
- update Appendix A relating to new Response Codes for SQ, ESQ or Transfer Order requests.
Importantly the working committee which undertook the revision of the Code are actively seeking input from nbn retail service providers on the proposed timeframes for the commencement of the obligations relating to the use of the AVC ID.
Accompanying the nbn Access Transfer Code, a minor variation has been made to the C617:2017 Incorporating Variation No.1 2022 Industry Code. This variation provides clarification and consistency in the use of an AVC ID for service transfers.
Information on the working committee which participated in the Code development, including the Terms of Reference, can be found here.
You can use the Submit Comments form to submit your comments via email or go to the Contact Us webpage to obtain other contact methods such as by post or fax.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THE DRAFT CLOSED AT 5:00 P.M. (AEST) ON FRIDAY 13 JANUARY 2023
Submissions received will be made publicly available on the Communications Alliance website unless the submitter requests otherwise.
- Two confidential submissions