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Australian Government - Australian Communications and Media Authority

IFC 50/2012

Draft International Mobile Roaming Industry Standard 2013

Second consultation

The ACMA has made changes to the draft International Mobile Roaming Standard (the Standard) as a result of an extensive consultation process. As a result, the ACMA is holding an additional public consultation period to seek comment on the revised Standard.

A copy of the draft Standard is available.

Making a submission

The ACMA invites comment on the Standard. Submissions should be made:

By email: consumer.interests@acma.gov.au

By mail:
Manager
Consumer Interests Section
Australian Communications and Media Authority
PO Box 13112
Law Courts
Melbourne Vic 8010

The closing date for submissions is Wednesday, 10 April 2013.

Further guidance on making a submission is available below.

Electronic submissions in Microsoft Word or Rich Text Format are preferred.

Media enquiries should be directed to Emma Rossi on 02 9334 7719 or by email to media@acma.gov.au. Any other enquiries may be directed to the Manager, Consumer Interests Section, by email to consumer.interests@acma.gov.au.

Submissions received for first consultation

The ACMA received 25 submissions to this consultation paper. The submissions (other than those over which confidentiality is claimed) are available below.

The ACMA is currently considering these submissions.

Background to first consultation

On 23 August 2012, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy, signed the Australian Communications and Media Authority (International Mobile Roaming Industry Standard) Direction (No. 1) 2012.

This Direction requires that the ACMA make a Standard within nine months, requiring telecommunications providers of international mobile roaming services to implement certain specified consumer awareness measures. These measures are aimed at reducing 'bill shock', where consumers who use a mobile device overseas face unexpected high charges upon their return. These unexpected charges can run into the thousands of dollars for only a few weeks of overseas use and present a growing problem within the telecommunications industry.

Direction

The Direction requires the ACMA make an industry Standard under section 125AA(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997. This Direction specifies that two minimum requirements must be included in the Standard, as follows:

  1. The industry standard must set minimum requirements for all Providers to:
    1. give consumers information, on arrival at an overseas destination, about the charges applicable for the Providers' international roaming services at that destination; and
    2. permit consumers to decline continued provision of those international roaming services, at any time, while at that overseas destination;

The Direction (and the associated explanatory statement) makes it clear that these requirements are only the minimum that is set. The ACMA also has the power to include further measures:

  1. The industry standard may deal with any other matter:
    1. related to international mobile roaming services that the ACMA regards as appropriate including, without limitation, measures which will enable consumers to monitor and manage the cost and their use of international roaming services; or
    2. that the ACMA considers ancillary or incidental to a matter specified in clause 6(1) above.

As part of the process of making this Standard, the ACMA has prepared a draft Standard for public consultation and seeks comment on this draft.

A consultation paper (Word [.docx] or PDF) accompanying this draft Standard (Word [.docx] or PDF) includes questions the ACMA seek response to.

Effective consultation

The ACMA is working to enhance the effectiveness of its stakeholder consultation processes, which are an important source of evidence for its regulatory development activities. To assist stakeholders in formulating submissions to its formal, written consultation processes, it has developed Effective consultation: A guide to making a submission. This guide provides information about the ACMA's formal, written, public consultation processes and practical guidance on how to make a submission.

Publication of submissions

In general, the ACMA publishes all submissions it receives.

The ACMA will not publish a submission or part of a submission if the ACMA considers such material to be defamatory or otherwise unlawful, or to be unsuitable for any other reason.

The ACMA prefers to receive submissions that are not claimed to be confidential. However, the ACMA accepts that a submitter may sometimes wish to provide information in confidence. In these circumstances, submitters are asked to identify the material over which confidentiality is claimed and provide a written explanation for the claim.

The ACMA will consider each confidentiality claim on a case-by-case basis. If the ACMA accepts a claim, it will not publish the confidential information unless authorised or required by law to do so.

 

Last update: 3 April 2013 15:53