Industry Welcomes Government Move to Facilitate an Industry-Based Scheme to Manage Telephone Numbering
Sydney, 2 December 2015 – Communications Alliance today welcomed the introduction to Federal Parliament of legislation that paves the way for a transition to an industry-managed telephone numbering management framework in Australia.
The Communications Legislation Amendment (Deregulation and Other Measures) Bill 2015 and consequent legislation would create a ‘heads of power’ that – subject to conditions being met – can be used to move the management of numbering away from the regulator and into the hands of industry.
“This is a sensible deregulatory reform, toward which industry has been working with Government for some time,” Communications Alliance CEO, John Stanton, said today.
“Similar arrangements have worked well in other countries, generating more agile, cost-effective and dynamic systems for managing numbering – to the benefit of consumers and industry alike.”
“Communications Alliance and its members are working on the detail of how an industry-managed scheme should best be structured and operated.
“When this work is completed in the near future we will release a detailed proposal and undertake consultation with all interested stakeholders, to help finalise the proposition.”
Mr Stanton commended the Minister for Communications & the Arts, Senator the Hon. Mitch Fifield and his Department for bringing forward the platform for the reform. He particularly acknowledged the valuable collaborative work undertaken with industry by the former Parliamentary Secretary for Communications, (and now Minister for Major Projects, Territories and Local Government) the Hon. Paul Fletcher MP, to formulate the original proposal.
ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS ALLIANCE
Communications Alliance is the primary telecommunications industry body in Australia. Its membership is drawn from a wide cross-section of the communications industry, including carriers, carriage and internet service providers, content providers, search engines, equipment vendors, IT companies, consultants and business groups.
Its vision is to
provide a unified voice for the telecommunications industry and to lead
it into the next generation of converging networks, technologies and
services. The prime mission of Communications Alliance is to promote the
growth of the Australian communications industry and the protection of
consumer interests by fostering the highest standards of business ethics
and behaviour through industry self-governance. For more details about
Communications Alliance, see www.commsalliance.com.au
Media information contacts:
Communications Alliance
Hannah Ritchie
hritchie@kreab.com
0452 404 303