Universal Service for the Twenty-First Century
Main Article Content
Keywords
telecommunications, universal service, broadband, mobile telephony
Abstract
The Australian Government is asking Australians for their views on the existing telecommunications universal service obligation. Fifty years ago, that obligation was on Telecom (now Telstra) to provide payphones and a voice service that would best meet the social, industrial and commercial needs of all Australians who reasonably require those services, so far as it is reasonably practicable to do so. The obligation is still the same: the provision of payphones and voice telephony. If the universal service obligation is to have any continuing relevance in the Australian communications framework, however, it must reflect the social, industrial and commercial needs of Australians in 2024 and beyond. Research shows that Australians are using broadband services for a wide range of services in their lives: access to government services, health, finances, education, entertainment, and social and family connections. And for the large majority of Australians, that communication is by mobile telephony. A new definition of the service for all Australians must be upgraded to reflect how Australians now communicate. And it must be continually reviewed and upgraded as necessary to meet the changing communications needs of all Australians.
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References
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Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). (2023b). Commonwealth of Australia. Communications and the media in Australia series: How we use the internet: Executive summary. https://www.acma.gov.au/publications/2023-12/report/communications-and-media-australia-how-we-use-internet. Accessed 5/1/24
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). (2019). Digital platforms inquiry final report. https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/digital-platforms-inquiry-final-report. Accessed 21/9/20
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) (2023). Digital services inquiry: interim report 7: Report on expanding ecosystems of digital platform service providers. https://www.accc.gov.au/about-us/publications/serial-publications/digital-platform-services-inquiry-2020-25-reports/digital-platform-services-inquiry-september-2023-interim-report. Accessed 12/12/23
Australian Government. (2021). (RTIRC 2021). 2021 Regional telecommunications review: A step change in demand. Parliament of Australia. https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/publications/2021-regional-telecommunications-review-step-change-demand. Accessed 3/2/24
Australian Labor Party (ALP). (2007). New directions for communications: A broadband future for Australia – Building a national broadband network. https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22library%2Fpartypol%2FE2KM6%22. Accessed 6/2/24
Australian Telecommunications Corporation Act 1989. (ATCA Act 1989). https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/num_act/atca1989453/. Accessed 1/9/90
Australian National Audit Office (ANAO). (2011). Audit report no 28 2010–11 performance audit: Management of the Australian Broadband Guarantee Program. https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/management-the-australian-broadband-guarantee-program. Accessed 9/2/24
Committee of Inquiry into Telecommunications Services in Australia. (1982). https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/644529. Accessed 6/2/24
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts (Estens Report). (2003). Connecting regional Australia: the report of the Regional Telecommunications Inquiry. https://catalogue.nla.gov.au/catalog/3060639. Accessed 6/2/24
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA). (2021). Australian Government. Universal Service Guarantee (USG) fact sheet. https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/publications/universal-service-guarantee-fact-sheet. Accessed 3/1/24
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development Communications and the Arts (DITRDCA). (2023a). Australian Government. Better connectivity plan for regional and rural Australia. https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/better-connectivity-plan-regional-and-rural-australia. Accessed 3/1/24
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development Communications and the Arts. (2023b). Better delivery of universal services - discussion paper. https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/department/media/publications/better-delivery-universal-services-discussion-paper. Accessed 9/2/24
Essential Services Commission Act 2001 (Vic). https://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/vic/consol_act/esca2001327/. Accessed 21/1/24
Featherstone, D. (2020). Remote Indigenous communications review: Telecommunications programs and current needs for remote Indigenous communities. ACCAN. https://accan.org.au/our-work/research/1821-remote-indigenous-communications-review-telecommunications-programs-and-current-needs-for-remote-indigenous-communities. Accessed 5/2/24
National Broadband Network Companies Act 2011. (NBN Act). https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/num_act/nbnca2011336/ Accessed 1/9/21
Prime Minister of Australia. (2009). New national broadband network, media release. Australian Government. https://ministers.treasury.gov.au/ministers/wayne-swan-2007/media-releases/new-national-broadband-network
Re Daisy Yarmirr et al. [1990] FCA 314. https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/cases/cth/FCA/1990/314.html?context=1;query=DAISY%20YARMIRR%20%20;mask_path=. Accessed 6/2/24
Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee (RTIRC). (2008). Regional Telecommunications Review. Framework for the Future. Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee Report 2008. https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/publications/tabledpapers/42812/upload_pdf/HPP022016002141.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf. Accessed 20 May 2024.
Telecommunications Act 1975 (Cth) (1975). https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/num_act/ta1975214/. Accessed 20/1/24
Telecommunications Act 1991 (Cth) (1991). https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/num_act/ta1991214/. Accessed 21/1/24
Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth) (1997). https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/num_act/ta1997214/. Accessed 20/1/24
Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 (T(CPSS) Act 1999). https://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/tpassa1999620/. Accessed 20/1/24
Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Future Proofing and Other Measures) Act 2005 (TLA Act 2005). https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r2438. Accessed 20/1/24
Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency Bill 2011 (TUSMA Bill). https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r4678. Accessed 20/1/24
Telstra. (2012). Telstra universal service obligation performance agreement. https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/media-communications-arts/phone/phone-services/universal-service-obligation-voice-services. Accessed 5.2.24.
Telstra. (2023). Chief customer advocate report on customer vulnerability 2023. https://www.telstra.com.au/content/dam/tcom/about-us/community-environment/pdf/telstra-chief-customer-advocate-report-on-customer-vulnerability.pdf. Accessed 5/2/24
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Published
Jun 29, 2024
Article Details
How to Cite
Raiche, H. (2024). Universal Service for the Twenty-First Century. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 12(2), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v12n2.936
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Public Policy
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