TelSoc has pleasure in announcing its next online event on Wednesday, 21 May 2025, from 12.30 p.m. 

Communications services are essential to many aspects of peoples’ lives, including to work, study, socialise, access health services and access government services. The Universal Service Obligation (USO) is a consumer protection safety net developed in the 1990s with the policy goal of making telecommunications services available throughout Australia. At its heart is the requirement for Telstra to supply fixed voice services and public payphones to all Australians. The USO policy also now includes a requirement for Statutory Infrastructure Providers, such as NBN Co and other similar entities, to provide wholesale fixed broadband access to retail providers so they can offer broadband services with peak download and upload speeds of at least 25/5 Megabits per second.

Australia’s universal services framework currently does not cover the delivery of voice and internet services over mobile, wireless broadband and other emerging technologies. There is a general consensus that the universal services framework needs a fundamental reset. The service definition should be modernised to reflect contemporary consumer needs, without abandoning traditional fixed landline services, which continue to be needed in more remote regions. Availability of different technologies means that the framework can and should incorporate a level of redundancy that allows for seamless connectivity during natural disasters, which are becoming more frequent and intense. Ideally, safety net services should be dynamic and reflect changes in consumer expectations and communications technologies over time.

Carol’s presentation will reflect on where we are now and where we need to be in a fast-evolving communications world. It will explore the solutions that need to be in place to ensure we deliver the most accessible, affordable and available communications and digital services for all Australians.

As with all TelSoc lunchtime events, Carol’s presentation will be followed by a Q&A session in which TelSoc members and industry colleagues will be able to raise questions and issues.  Past experience suggests that these sessions can be incredibly interesting and informative.  Given Carol’s substantial and diverse experience, her presentation and participation in the Q&A will be well worth your time.

Registration process:

1. Click on the website, www.telsoc.org/events and follow the prompts for the Carol Bennett event. It will be easy to do so, if you are a financial TelSoc member. Click the "Book a Seat" button.
2. If you are not a current financial member, you will be invited to join.  Please consider doing so.  The objectives of TelSoc and benefits of joining are set out at Membership | Telsoc.
3. If you are not a financial member and do not wish to join right now, or if you are having any difficulty registering, please send your name and email contact to jim.holmes@telsoc.org and he will register you manually – provided he hears from you before 5 pm on 20 May 2025.