Communications AllianceRegulatory Overview

Margaret Fleming, Program ManagerHelen Bailey, Operations Manager

International Training Program 2006

• Communications Alliance

• Australian Communications Industry Forum Background

• Code/Standard Development Process

• Achievements

• Case Study

• Conclusion

Agenda

• Formed in 2006 from a merger of ACIF and SPAN

• To lead the industry into the NGN technologies and services

• To contribute to policy development and debate

• To promote the growth of the industry and protection of consumer interests through industry self-governance

Communications Alliance

• An industry owned, resourced and operated company

• A neutral meeting ground for stakeholders

• Communications Alliance encourages a culture of communication, cooperation and cross-industry participation

• A leader and facilitator of self-regulation

• Membership includes carriers, service providers, equipment vendors, industry associations,

consumer associations and individual organisations

What is Communications Alliance?

• ACIF is a division of Communications Alliance

• ACIF provides a neutral forum in which all participants and end-users in the Australian communications industry can work together to promote and develop:

– Inter-operator arrangements to make competition work

– Consumer protections in the supply of telecommunications services

– Network and customer equipment standards

What does ACIF do?

• Australia’s unique legislative mandate for telecommunications industry self-regulation

• Communications Alliance’s central premise: the best outcomes for all stakeholders in

Australian telecommunications can be achieved by

co-operation, obviating the need for government regulation

• Strong Government support for Communications Alliance-led self-regulatory responses

The Framework and the Environment

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Reg

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Policy

Leg

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Ind

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y P

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Australian Communications and Media Authority (Telco)Ministerial Advice Carrier/CSP obligations

Frequency spectrum Carrier licensing

Technical regulation USO Performance/compliance monitoring Numbering Code Registration Enforcement of Registered

Industry CodesOther consumer safeguards

Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

Ministerial Advice Conduct/Competition Pricing

AccessInterconnection Number Portability

Service declaration

ACIF, a division of Communications Alliance

Industry CodesTechnical StandardsOperations GuidelinesIndustry Services Industry Facilitation

Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman

Consumer complaints about their telephone or internet service

Industry and Consumer

Associations

Industry Suppliers

• Consumer Issues Reference Panel

– Consumer issues - billing, credit management, consumer contracts, prices terms and conditions. CND, complaints handling

• Operations Reference Panel

– Interprovider issues - mobile and local number portability, commercial churn, preselection, rights of use of numbers, unconditioned local loop/DSL, fault management,

ordering/provisioning, emergency services, building access,

Reference Panels

• Network Reference Panel

– Network type issues -mobile origin location. number portability (local, mobile and freephone), network interconnection, signalling, services interworking, network performance, unconditioned local loop/DSL, hybrid fibre coax, call charging/billing.

• Customer Equipment and Cabling

– Equipment issues - relating to telephony, ISDN, mobile, DSL and various cabling issues on the customer side of the network boundary.

Reference Panels

• Involves Board, Reference Panels, Working Committees and Executive

• Operating Manual details respective roles and responsibilities, together with operating processes

and procedures

• Processes and procedures based on openness, consensus, representation and consultation

imperatives

Code/Standard development process

• Processes and procedures designed to ensure all sectors of Australian society are reasonably able to influence the development of standards and codes

• 4 standing Reference Panels (RP) each responsible for providing oversight of a particular area of

industry activity

• Standard/Code production by Working Committees (WC) specifically established for the task

Code/Standard development process

• RPs and WCs must to the greatest extent possible be representative of parties interested in the

subject matter of the proposed body of work to be undertaken

• Project/Activity Proposal for CEO approval

• Notice of the establishment of the Working Committee and call for nominations

• Release of draft document for 30 - 60 day public comment period

Code/Standard development process

• Working Committee formal ballot for content approval

• Board approval to publish (process approval)

• Board approval of submission to ACMA (registration/“making”)

Code/Standard development process

• Industry Codes – twenty-six (26)

• Australian Standards – seventeen (17)

• Specifications, Guidelines, Plans – more than forty (40)

• IT Specifications, Operating Manuals, Test Strategies/Plans – more than thirty (30)

• Publication Report contains details of all documents (available on website)

Document Publication

VoIP Working Committee

• broad representation of suppliers and providers

• Quality of Service (QoS) issues in VoIP interconnectivity discussion paper

• Fact Sheets for VoIP Service Providers on:

– Customer Information

– Emergency Services

– Security

– Basic Guide to VOIP Technical Terms and Issues

• third annual VoIP Forum

• Current issues - Numbering, Location information, QoS, service description

Industry Facilitation/Coordination

Advisory Councils – to ensure that consumers’ interests in the development of ACIF policy are met:

• Consumer Council (9 participants from a wide range of consumer bodies, public interest groups)

• Disability Advisory Body (9 participants from a wide range of the disability sector including hearing

impaired, sight impaired etc.)

Advisory Councils

Future Forums

A series of forums being held to identify the collaborative work which the industry needs to undertake – relating to the operational, technical, regulatory and commercial issues – in planning the transition to the NGN environment.

• Fibre

• Wireless

• Mobile

Industry Facilitation/Coordination

• Mobile Number Portability

• Consumer Contracts Code

• Credit Management Code

• Revised code and new standards for the deployment of ADSL2 and ADSL2+ next generation broadband

• VoIP initiatives – Forum, Fact sheets, Working Group

• Kick off of Single Consumer Code

• QoS Industry Discussion paper

Achievements

• ACCC issued direction in October 1999 for Mobile Number Portability to be mandatory

• Industry was allowed to choose the technology to provide a long term solution

• MNP was to operate across all mobile technologies

• The implementation date was set for 25 December 2001

Case study/ACIF achievement: Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

QUESTION:

• What do you think would be required within your country to implement Mobile Number Portability?

• Who would need to be involved?

Case study: Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

REQUIREMENT

• To identify and start industry tasks required for the introduction of MNP

• Network trunking arrangements

• Operational Procedures

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

RESULT

• ACIF G556 A Framework for the introduction of MNP in Australia

• ACIF G561 MNP – Network Plan for Voice,

data, fax services

• ACIF C570 Mobile Number Portability Industry Code

REQUIREMENT

• Common Network Messaging and

Architecture Specs

• Requirements for provision of customer

information

• Register required for the effective routing of calls

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

RESULT

• ACIF G573 MNP IT Specifications Parts 1, 2, and 3

• ACIF G574 MNP Customer Information

• ACIF G574 MNP Ported Number Register

REQUIREMENT

• Operational arrangements for the

implementation of MNP

• Meet the requirements of law enforcement agencies

• Framework for IT testing for new participants using MNP

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

RESULT

• ACIF G579 MNP Operations Manual

• ACIF G590 MNP Law Enforcement Agency Solution

• ACIF G592 MNP IT Test Strategy

REQUIREMENT

• MNP Test Details

• Framework for replacement/testing digital certificates

• Contact details for industry members

• Details of Planned outages that may affect MN porting

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

RESULT

• ACIF G593 MNP IT Test Strategy

• ACIF G594 MNP Digital Certification

Replacement Test Plan

• MNP Industry Contact List

• MNP Planned Outage Log

REQUIREMENT

• Listing of non MNP porting days

• Details of test windows for new participants

• Expected data for validation purposes

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

RESULT

• MNP National Public Holidays

• MNP Test Schedule / Roster

• Expected data on a ported number

• Parties involved in document/procedure development included:

– Mobile Carriers

– Carriers/Carriage Service Providers

– Portability Service Suppliers

– Regulators

– Consumers

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

• Industry agreed solution represented world’s best practice in relation to speed in which customers can port their number

• Service levels require

– 90% ports in 3 hours; and

– 99% ports in 2 days

Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

• Industry ownership and inclusiveness

• Formal structure and rules

• Underpinning Government policy framework

• Support by incumbent(s)

• Attitude of cooperation

• Equitable funding arrangements

• Neutrality, neutrality, neutrality

Essential elements of self-regulation