ACCAN presentation to theSixth National Deafness at the SummitGenerations – Yesterday Today and Tomorrow

Allan AsherChief Executive, ACCAN

24.04.2010

The national broadband network and what it will mean for you•ACCAN’s Vision and Mission

•Available, Accessible and •Affordable Communications•Humans rights basis•Mission

•Campaigning•Market failure•Empowerment•Research•partnerships

About ACCAN

• ACCAN represents communications consumers on issues including telecommunications, broadband and emerging new services consumers

• ACCAN provides a strong, co-ordinated voice to industry and government and works towards availability, accessibility and affordability of communications services for all Australians

• ACCAN promotes better consumer protection outcomes ensuring speedy responses to complaints and issues

•ACCAN aims to empower consumers so they are well informed and can make good choices about products and services.

•ACCAN activates its broad and diverse membership base to campaign to get a better deal for communications

Members• 130 members – individuals and organisations

• Members include:disability advocacy groups, regional associations, community legal centres, farmers federations, parents groups, pensioners

Governance• 9 member Board

• Chair is Ms Sue Salthouse (Women With Disabilities Australia)

2 Advisory Bodies:

•Standing Advisory Committee on Consumer Affairs

•Standing Advisory Committee on Disability Issues

Resourcing• Funded by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

• 4 year funding contract

• 10 staff, more coming!

• Sydney-based office

Commitment to accessibility

*National Disability Strategy

*UN Convention on Rights of

*Persons with Disabilities

*National Relay Service

*Standing Committee on

Disability Issues

*SMS Emergency Services

Disability Policy Adviser

ACCAN’s Strategic Goals•Government and the NBN•Policy Principles•Issues•Broadband and Disability

•Grants scheme•WA deaf Society•National Ethnic Disability Alliance

Policy principles:•New universal service obligation•Attention to accessibility and affordability•No consumer to be worse off•Infrastructure and services to be accessible•Consumer requirements to be considered•Consumer protection to be built in not bolted on•Migration to be seamless•Information and education programs are must•Regulatory regime needs to be revamped

Issues for action

•Innovative broadband applications•New services becoming available•Waiting times reduced•Constant availability•Advantages the service providers•Consumer protection and remedies

"Every year we spend hundreds of millions of dollars on billing, which includes processing bill payments, paying third-party billing service providers, answering customers' questions about their bills and operating systems to support billing."

– Telstra

Current consumer protection and remedies:

•Access and affordability•Performance reliability and security•Complaint handling•Enforcement mechanisms•Broader national interest

•Broadband at 100 Mb per second•100 times faster than current•Connection to 90% of homes and premises•Remaining 12 Mb per second•Universal access•Digital dividend•No guarantee of access•Price and availability issues•Wholesale only network

What will it do?

Digital TVDigital Switchover will begin in the South West Slopes- Eastern Riverina in January 2012

www.digitalready.gov.au

Contact details:

Suite 402 Level 4 55 Mountain StUltimo NSW 2007

Tel: 02 9288 4000Email: allan.asher@accan.org.auWeb: www.accan.org.au