Improving affordability of communications

The results of ACCAN?s 2013 Affordability Forum are provided. A joint ACCAN-Anglicare Victoria research project shows that 6% of Anglicare?s clients in Victoria were deprived of all forms of telecommunications and 45% had only had one form of telecommunication service. A range of affordability policy ideas outlined at the forum are dkiscussed, with an emphasis on reforming the universal service obligation in the era of the national broadband network.

Contactability framework for the delivery of universal services

The USO ensures access to voice communication services for all Australians. The obligation has changed very little in comparison to the telecommunications market and consumers? use of services. This presents a number of gaps and risks for consumers, such as data and mobile services. However, updating the obligation to include these services alone will likely fail consumers. This paper argues for a new framework based on a principle of contactability. This new framework will have four key areas...

CommsWire - 2 September 2015

Affordability of telecoms services under scrutiny says Corbin; Transparency on affordability and performance are pressing issues says ACCC; Amazon slaps SVOD competitors with new mobile downloads; Symbio launches toll-fraud mitigation platform; Telstra rolls over and offers data/call credit roll over on pre-paid; NT Police nabs crooks with NEC face recognition.

Affordable retail pricing on the NBN

The National Broadband Network (NBN) has the potential to transform economic and social relations. But realising that potential requires universal take-up and significant utilisation of the NBN. This paper examines how NBN wholesale pricing can help to do this. It introduces a mark-up concept to build a bridge between wholesale and retail prices, provides a yard-stick for how we might define affordable retail pricing and suggests how an entry level wholesale price can be specified to deliver...

Affordable telecommunications

This article reviews recent developments in several countries and regions (including Australia, Africa, the EU and North America), that aim to provide free or low-cost access to modern telecommunication services, especially through community wireless networks (CWNs) such as guifi.net. From Do-It-Yourself satellites to open-source GSM, these projects offer non-commercial alternatives to present telecommunications services.