ACMAsphere, ACMA's monthly newsletter, is full of the latest news and activities in the ever-merging fields of broadcasting, the internet, radiocommunications and telecommunications.
2009 Issues | 2008 Issues | 2007 Issues | 2006 Issues | 2005 Issues
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Issue 59—December 2010 Our final issue for the year features an overview of the recent round of public hearings undertaken for the ACMA’s recent Reconnecting the Customer inquiry. The hearings were held in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Townsville and Launceston as part of the ACMA’s broad suite of consultation activities designed to offer maximum opportunity for stakeholders and the public to provide input to the inquiry, which is evaluating the quality of customer service and complaints-handling in the telecommunications industry. The December issue also reports on the 6th Joint London Action Plan—Contact Network of Spam Authorities Workshop, a three-day conference held in Melbourne in November and hosted by the ACMA. The event brought together experts, regulators and law enforcement agencies from Australia and more than 13 other countries to share their experiences and develop strategies in the global fight against spam. In other news, the ACMA welcomed the Chairman of the Korea Communications Standards Commission, Mr Lee, Jin Kang, who met Chris Chapman in Sydney for an official ceremony to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the agencies. It is hoped that the MoU will pave the way for stronger international ties with the Korean content regulatory agency. Download issue 59 (1.04 mb) or HTML |
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Issue 58—November 2010 This month we report on the first in a series of consultation papers released by the ACMA on the future of numbering in Australia. Numbering has become a key issue in Australia’s converged communications environment and this series of papers will consider how we build a bridge between current uses of numbers and how communications services will use numbers in the near future. Issue 58 also features an overview of the ACMA Annual report 2009–10, which was tabled in Federal Parliament on 13 October. The report, which profiles a year of significant change and development for the agency, is available for download from the ACMA website. In other news, the ACMA welcomed four new members in October, Deputy Chair Richard Bean and three part-time members, industry experts Louise Benjamin, Reg Coutts and Hugh Marks. Read more about them in this month’s issue. Download issue 58 (1.2 mb) or HTML |
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Issue 57—October 2010 In this issue we report on the exciting developments in 3D TV in Australia. The ACMA recently granted licences to both the Seven Network and the Nine Network to broadcast the AFL and NRL grand finals in 3D respectively. These broadcasts followed the first terrestrial trials of 3D TV in Australia earlier this year. After issuing the licences in September, the ACMA released a discussion paper to seek public comment on the future of 3D TV. Find out how you can have your say on the direction of 3D TV in this country in this month’s ACMAsphere. The October issue also features an article on Cybersmart’s support of National Child Protection Week, which was held from 5 to 11 September. During the week more than 50 cybersafety presentations were made to students, parents and teachers to help raise awareness about online safety. Download issue 57 (949 kb) or HTML |
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Issue 56 - September 2010 This month we report on the ACMA’s new rules developed to crack down on SMS scams. Introduced in August, the new rules mean consumers will not be billed for costly premium SMS and MMS from suspect mobile premium service providers. The rules are the latest in the ACMA’s package of measures dealing with consumer concerns about the unexpected costs of some SMS and MMS services, which include ringtones, wallpapers, games, music tracks and videos, horoscopes, news and chat groups. This issue also features an article about parental television locks, which will be a required feature of all digital television receivers from 4 February 2011. The ACMA determined the new technical standard in August to allow all parents to control access to programs based on their classification: G, PG, M or MA. In other news, we reveal the new suite of cybersafety resources that have been developed specifically for parents to give them the skills and knowledge they need to help their children have safe and positive experiences online. The resources, including an online video, brochures and new website content, will be available on the Cybersmart website in September. Download issue 56 (1.41 mb) or HTML |
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Issue 55 - August 2010 In this issue we report on the release of the terms of reference and consultation paper for the ACMA’s Reconnecting the Customer public inquiry. ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman, announced the inquiry at the CommsDay Summit on 20 April 2010 with a view to improving customer service and complains-handling in the telecommunications industry. The August issue also features a report on new licensing arrangements that will allow citizens to use mobile phones on planes. The ACMA led the initiative on the back of strong industry interest in introducing the technology to the Australian market. Issue 55 also covers the inaugural Children’s Television Classification Forum, held at on the L’Aqua Restaurant in Sydney on 22 June, and takes a trip to sea with the Field Operations Team as they discover the extensive range of radiocommunications equipment on board the Spirit of Tasmania II. Download issue 55 (1.11 mb) or HTML |
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Issue 54 - July 2010 Our July issue is dedicated to National Cyber Security Awareness Week, an annual Australian Government initiative that aims to promote the importance of cybersecurity to all Australians. The ACMA was a key partner of the event and held a number of activities throughout the week, including the launch of Cybersmart Hero, a new online anti-cyberbullying activity for primary school students, and the launch of the ACMA’s new spam reporting tool, Spam SMS. Issue 54 also reports on the recent changes to the Do Not Call Register and features an interesting insight into South Africa’s community television industry in an article that reports on a recent workshop held in Boksburg, South Africa and attended ACMA staff member Phyllis Fong. Download issue 54 (1.05 mb) or HTML |
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Issue 53 - June 2010 This issue features RadComms2010—Spectrum, powering a mobile world, the ACMA’s fourth annual conference on its management of the radiofrequency spectrum. RadComms2010 was held in Melbourne on 5 and 6 May and included a number of presentations from industry and government representatives, including special guest Dato’ Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, Chief Operating Officer, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission. Issue 53 also reports on a public forum that the ACMA hosted in May. Nine panellists from the communications industry met at the Museum of Sydney to discuss the ACMA’s review of the commercial radio standards. The event was also webcast via the ACMA’s website to a wide audience across Australia. In other news, we feature the launch of the newly-created Triple Zero Kids’ Challenge, an online game designed to teach young children how to use Triple Zero in an emergency. The game was launched by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, at Collingwood College in May. Download issue 53 (1.1 mb) or HTML |
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Issue 52 - May 2010 This issue features an edited extract of the Chairman’s speech at the 2010 CommsDay Summit, which was held in Sydney on 20 April. In his landmark speech, Chris Chapman announced a formal inquiry into customer service in the telecommunications industry and spoke of how poor customer service is damaging the industry’s reputation. Mr Chapman told the meeting of Australia’s telecommunications industry leaders that the ACMA inquiry would adopt its evidence-based approach to ‘... get to the bottom of this issue’. Issue 52 also reports on the ACMA’s investigation into Bruce Harry Real Estate, which resulted in a $6600 infringement notice for the company after it was found they had made telemarketing calls to numbers listed on the Do Not Call Register and had contravened the Industry Standard by making a telemarketing call on a Sunday. In other news, we look at how the ACMA is using social media including Facebook, Twitter and iTunes to engage consumers and communicate to a wider audience. Finally, look out for the special feature in this issue on the work of the ACMA’s Field Operations Section, who took to the track at the recent Australian Formula 1 Grand Prix to manage the many and varied interference issues that arise during the event. Download issue 52 (966 kb) or HTML |
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Issue 51 - April 2010 This issue introduces RadComms2010—Spectrum, powering a mobile world, the ACMA’s fourth annual conference on its management of the radiofrequency spectrum. RadComms2010 will be held in Melbourne on Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 May and will include a number of presentations from industry and government representatives. Issue 51 also reports on new rules developed by the ACMA for premium SMS, which will come into effect on 1 July 2010, and discusses proposed new rules to promote greater compliance with mobile premium services. The Five-year Spectrum Outlook 2010–2014, released on 31 March 2010, is also outlined in this issue. In other news, we report on the ACMA-developed Australian Internet Security Initiative and look at case studies to examine how it is improving internet security for businesses and individuals. A special feature in this issue is written by Chris Jeremy, who took advantage of the ACMA’s Low Power Open Narrowcasting (LPON) service to launch and operate a niche radio station in the small South Australian town of Port Broughton. Download issue 51 (PDF 1.46 mb) or HTML |
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Issue 50 - March 2010 This month we celebrate the 50th issue of ACMAsphere with a look back at how the ACMA’s monthly magazine has changed during the past four and a half years. This issue also reports on the current review of the commercial radio standards. The review follows the completion of a program of research into community attitudes, industry compliance and international approaches to regulation, some results of which are also published in issue 50. In other news, we report on the ACMA’s brave move into the world of social media, which was initiated by the appointment of former Sydney Morning Herald Executive Editor Tom Burton in February. In a newly created role, Mr Burton has been hired as an executive manager to drive the Gov2.0 strategy, making the ACMA the first government agency to engage social media and networking tools to better communicate with Australians. Issue 50 also covers the release of a discussion paper that calls for comment on the ACMA’s review of the current ban on the use of mobile phone jammers in Australia. Download issue 50 (PDF 981 kb) or HTML |
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Issue 49 - February 2010 In this issue we report on how Australians’ thirst for flexible communications has contributed to a recent rise in the use of services such as 3G mobile phone, VoIP and wireless broadband internet, as reported in the ACMA Communications report 2008–09, which was released on 12 January 2010. In other news, the ACMA continues its fight against cyberbullying by supporting the seventh annual Safer Internet Day, held on 9 February. The core message of Safer Internet Day 2010 was ‘Think before you post’, a simple idea that encourages children and young people to stop and think about the consequences before sending or posting something online. From keeping children and young people safe online to protecting adults, this month the AMCA reached out to users of online dating sites with a postcard designed to help them stay safe when interacting with others online. Released in time for Valentine’s Day, the postcards were made available at 600 youth-friendly venues around the country including galleries, bars and cafes. Issue 49 also covers the release of a discussion paper that calls for comment on options for the future pricing, planning and licensing arrangements for the 2.5 GHz band. The closing date for submissions is 12 March 2010. Download issue 49 (PDF 1.3 mb) or HTML |
