From Cellular News: A joint report by the Australian and New Zealand governments into the cost of trans-Tasman roaming has recommended increased powers for their telecoms regulators to intervene in the market. The governments have both accepted the report’s recommendations and decided to extend these to other markets. The New Zealand government said that the […] Read more »
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ACCC directs Telstra to amend measures developed under its Migration Plan
From the ACCC: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has directed Telstra to improve four processes that will support the migration of customers onto the National Broadband Network. The processes are referred to in Telstra’s Migration Plan as Required Measures and relate to: the disconnection of services (from copper or HFC networks) that have […] Read more »
Google appeal upheld by High Court
From the ACCC: The High Court of Australia has unanimously upheld Google Inc.’s appeal from a judgment of the Full Federal Court that found that Google had contravened the Trade Practices Act 1974 by engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct. The ACCC will carefully review the judgment of the High Court to understand whether it […] Read more »
BYOD could open businesses to copyright litigation: BSA
From ZDNet: Most businesses are aware of the repercussions of using pirated or counterfeit software; however, with the consumerisation of IT, many employees may be opening up their employers to increased liability without the business even knowing it. Speaking to ZDNet, Business Software Alliance (BSA) chair Clayton Noble said that while businesses that are purposely […] Read more »
Smartphones use doubles in 2012
From the ACMA: Almost half of Australia’s adult population now own a smartphone. Take-up soared by 104 per cent to 8.67 million units over the 12 months to May 2012, according to research released by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. Smartphones and tablets: Take-up and use in Australia also found that 9.2 million Australians […] Read more »
ACCC seeks special leave of High Court in TPG case
From the ACCC: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has applied for special leave of the High Court to appeal the 20th December 2012 decision of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia in relation to TPG’s advertisements for its Unlimited ADSL2+ broadband internet service. The Full Court allowed TPG’s appeal in […] Read more »
Social Networking Sites to cooperate with Government on complaint handling
From the DBCDE: Social Networking Sites have agreed to continue promoting user safety as well as undertaking education and awareness raising about antisocial behaviour online under new guidelines announced by the Prime Minister. The Cooperative Arrangement for Complaints Handling on Social Networking Sites commits companies, such as Facebook, Google (YouTube), Yahoo! and Microsoft, to: Set […] Read more »
Social media boosts customers
From the Conversation and the University of Buffalo: Customers who connect with a business through social media will go to the business more frequently and contribute more to its bottom line, according to a new study from the University at Buffalo School of Management. The study, forthcoming in Information Systems Research, found that customers who […] Read more »
Aussie data retention so dangerous it’s ‘dynamite’: Berners-Lee
From ZDNet: A controversial plan to store information about personal internet and telephone usage in Australia has been criticised by the world wide web’s inventor, Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Internet service providers and telecommunications companies would be asked to store data that passes through their networks for up to two years under plans being considered by […] Read more »
ACMA Consultation: Options for calls to freephone and local rate numbers
From the ACMA: The Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) has started a public consultation process to identify the best way to achieve the following objectives: To make calls from mobile phones to freephone (1800) numbers free; To make calls from mobile phones to local rate numbers (13/1300) numbers cost no more than a […] Read more »
Australia does not sign up to International Telecommunications Regulations on Internet Law
From DBCDE: The Minister for Broadband, Communications, and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today confirmed that Australia will not sign a revised international telecommunications treaty on internet law, as it has the potential to fundamentally change the way the internet operates. Over the past two weeks, the World Conference on International Telecommunications (WCIT) has […] Read more »
Government moves to ensure quality Australian TV content
The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, today announced a package of measures to ensure quality Australian TV content. “Free-to-air television plays an important part in our lives, and seeing Australian stories told on TV is vital in reflecting and maintaining our Australian identity, character and diversity,” Senator Conroy said. […] Read more »
Yahoo Hit With $2.7B Verdict In Mexican Court Case; Will Appeal
Yahoo this afternoon said a Mexican court has ordered the company to pay $2.7 billion in a case filed by a pair of companies that publish telephone directories. The verdict was issued by the 49th Civil Court of the Federal District of Mexico City, in a case filed by Worldwide Directories S.A. de C.V. and Ideas […] Read more »
Half of internet users unsure if internet content is legal
Nearly half of all internet users are unsure whether the content they are accessing online is legal, Ofcom research has found. However, one in six people online believed they downloaded or accessed content illegally over a three-month period this year. The findings come from the first wave of a large-scale consumer study into the extent […] Read more »
ACMA reminder on land owner rights in telco installations
The Australian Communications and Media Authority, following the issuing of a remedial direction to Wobygong Pty Ltd in relation to multiple breaches of Schedule 3 of the Telecommunications Act 1997(the Act), is taking this opportunity to remind telecommunications carriers to discharge their obligations under the law when installing facilities on public and private land. An […] Read more »