Issue No 15: 1 July 2019
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Like us on Facebook ACOMMS 2019 - Book your seats now!
* Shortlisted Finalists Announced: Thursday 4 July
* ACOMM Awards Dinner & Winners Announced: Thursday 15 August
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Visit the 2018 ACOMMS photo gallery here and highlights video here. And see the 2018 winners here.
Upgraded Protection for Australia’s Telecommunications Consumers
Stronger protections for Australia’s telecommunications consumers are being delivered by a new, enforceable Industry Code, registered today by the independent regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The revised Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code, written by Communications Alliance and its members in collaboration with consumer representatives, regulators and Government, comes into force on 1 August.
It features wide-ranging upgraded protections, including in relation to selling practices, credit assessment, customer contracts and assistance to customers in financial hardship.
The Code will provide greater transparency about the comparative customer service performance of the major service providers in the Australian market – through an expanded Complaints in Context index, published quarterly. It has also been expanded to provide protections to more small businesses in Australia.
“This revision comes at an important time for Industry and consumers,” said John Stanton, CEO, Communications Alliance.
“As telecommunications become more central to everyday life and consumer expectations evolve, we are also seeing rapid change within the Industry, with more providers joining the marketplace and evolution in product offerings and in the service delivery chain,
“It is vital to that ensure consumer protections keep up with the pace of change, in pursuit of ongoing and positive improvements in consumer experience,” Mr Stanton said.
The TCP Code is a code of conduct for the telecommunications industry in Australia, providing community safeguards in the areas of sales, service and contracts, billing, credit and debt management, financial hardship, and changing suppliers.
Compliance with the Code is mandatory for all telecommunications providers servicing residential and small business consumers, and is enforceable by the ACMA.
The latest revision was undertaken by a Committee of Consumer, Industry, Government, and Regulator representatives, led by an Independent Chair, Ms Fay Holthuyzen. The process also benefited from an extensive public consultation process, which added value to the new measures.
“The Code is a cornerstone of the telecommunications co-regulatory system – developed and managed by Industry and relevant stakeholders, monitored by the industry-created body, Communications Compliance and enforced by the regulator, with resort to stiff penalties in the case of non-compliance,” explained Stanton.
Suppliers will have one month to become compliant with most of the changes in the new Code.
Communications Alliance is holding a CommsEssentials seminar in Sydney and Melbourne on Wednesday 3 July to provide more information on the changes to the Code. Further information and registration details are on the Communications Alliance website.
The Code, and further information on the revisions and related documents, are available here.
Suppliers can find guidance notes on each of the Chapters and other tools to support their compliance work on the Communications Compliance portal.
Comms Essentials - TCP Code
Wednesday 3 July 2019
Hosted by
Background:
This Communications Alliance Comms Essentials seminar will present an overview of the important new revisions to the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code.
The TCP Code was revised by an independently chaired Communications Alliance working committee consisting of representatives from industry, consumers, government, and regulators in an 18-month project. It was then submitted to the ACMA for registration by Communications Alliance. The ACMA is considering registration, following which RSPs will have one month to become compliant with the new Code.
The revised TCP Code will be published upon registration, prior to the Comms Essentials.
This seminar will provide an overview of key revisions to the Code and information on associated compliance and enforcement activities, including presentations from the ACMA and Communications Compliance. It will address key themes of consumer protection, and we will also invite questions and discussion.
Communications Alliance will also host, at a later date, a longer webinar to delve into the detailed changes and offer an opportunity to address specific questions from RSPs.
Please note: We will confirm this event with all registered guests – or notify them of cancellation if needed – on Friday 28 June, as it is dependent upon the registration of the Code by the ACMA.
Event attendance:
Communications Alliance members, all Retail Service Providers bound by the Code, and other stakeholders.
Please note: While Comms Essentials are typically offered only to Communications Alliance members, this event will be open to all interested parties.
Program:
- Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
Speaker: Fiona Cameron, Authority Member - Panel
- Communications Alliance: Jessica Curtis, Policy and Regulation Manager
- ACMA: Vince Humphries, Executive Manager, Communication Safeguards & Networks
- Communications Compliance: Visu Thangavelu, Executive Director
- QA
Facilitator: John Stanton, CEO, Communications Alliance
| When: | Wednesday, 3 July 2019, 9.00am for 9:30am to 11:30am |
| Where: | SYDNEY – Baker McKenzie, Level 46, Tower One, Barangaroo, Sydney |
| Register incl. remote attendance: |  |
Feedback | Contact Tel: (61) 2 9959 9111 |