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August’s Advocacy Corner Update

Submissions that may be of interest to members include:

ACCC| Wholesale ADSL Service Declaration | 10 Sept

The ACCC is proposing to continuing to declare Wholesale ADSL until 2024. Their view is that postponing this date will promote competition by aligning the expiry to the declaration of other Telstra fixed line services which are also declared by the ACCC. We are in support of this stance as it will ensure continuing price certainty and performance standards while ADSL remains in service in some areas.

eSafety Office | Restricted Access System  | 12 Sept

eSafety is seeking views on a restricted access system (RAS)  which seeks to limit exposure of people under 18 to age-inappropriate content. A new RAS needs to be in place by January 2022 as part of the Online Safety Bill. The services which will be required to meet these requirements include Australian hosting providers, social media services, designated internet services and relevant electronic services, some of which aren’t as yet defined at all. Members with views on how this system should or could work, are welcome to get in touch.

Communications Alliance | Existing Customer Authentication Industry Code Draft | 20 Sept

Communications Alliance have published a draft Existing Customer Authentication Industry Code for review which seeks to provide a framework for customer authentication. For carriage service providers, this will entail having measures in place to verify a customer’s identity effectively and securely.

The Regional Telecommunications Review | 30 Sept

Every three years, the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee is appointed to conduct a review on status of telecommunications within regional, rural and remote Australia.  The issues this review will tackle include the impact of existing government policies, service reliability, emerging technologies and regional development.

If you have any comments or would like to find additional information about the above, please email us at policy@internet.asn.au

 

Recent Home Affairs Submission

September’s Advocacy Corner Update

IAA submitted on the Home Affairs Strengthening Australia’s cyber security regulations and incentives paper. In our submission, we highlighted the complexity of existing cybersecurity legislation, especially for smaller ISPs to navigate. We commented on suggested mechanisms which could promote the uptake of cybersecurity, including minimum standards for personal information and health checks for small businesses. We called on Home Affairs to collaboratively engage with relevant industry stakeholders throughout the process of drafting cybersecurity regulation or processes. 

IAA supported the extension of the Wholesale ADSL to 20 June 2024 in our recent submission to the ACCC. We raised the point that WADSL as continues to be prominent in rural, regional and remote areas, it needs to be provisioned for.  

We also expressed our perspective on ACMA’s Statement of Expectations (SoE) for the Telecommunications Industry with regards to vulnerable consumers. We extended our support to the SoE, however, highlighted that for smaller ISPs, some objectives and examples regarding financial hardship and customer service would be difficult to meet because of resource constraints. 

The ACCC published updated Non-Discrimination Guidelines for the telecommunications sector, a process we responded to in June. In the new Guidelines, the ACCC will assess whether NBN Co or access providers have acted in a discriminatory manner by conducting an explicit or implicit discrimination test. A quick summary of how this process will work is available here.  

Consumer Data Rights (CDR)

August’s Advocacy Corner Update

We also made a submission responding to the Treasury’s Consumer Data Right (CDR) sectoral assessment for the telecommunications sector. In our submission, we extended our support for consumers to have a right to their own data to make informed choices, but argued that mechanisms already exist which facilitate that well. We highlighted that the CDR may add to existing compliance requirements for ISPs, and as a by-product limit competition within the telecommunications sector. We also called for the timeframe for consultation on the CDR to be extended, to ensure meaningful collaboration between government and industry can occur throughout this process.

NBN Co Special Access Undertaking (SAU) 

August’s Advocacy Corner Update

IAA is participating in the working group that is developing the Building Block Model (BBM) underpinning the financials for the review of NBN Co’s standard access undertaking (SAU). This process will see us working collectively with the ACCC, NBN Co, RSPs and the Department of Communications to discuss and consider a revised BBM which accounts for accumulated losses, investments and ongoing expenditure. We have also been involved in the working group associated with developing the overall regulatory framework for the SAU.

Last month, we submitted a response to NBN Co’s SAU Variation discussion paper, in which we supported the concept of a flat-pricing model while opposing the idea of price control through embedded annual price rises. We supported NBN Co’s inclusion of the multi-technology mix (ie HFC and FTTN) within the SAU and recommended that NBN Co should think about how information on service standards for various technologies could be made available to RSPs.

July 1996 President’s Report

01-Jul-1996
Members,

After the Inaugural General Meeting of the Western Australian Internet Association (Inc.) (WAIA) the Executive Committee moved to implement the resolutions of the organisation.

Executive Board Structure
Shortly after the IAGM, the Board formed for the Inaugural Executive Meeting with the following members selected to handle the subsequent portfolios:

Paul McCutcheon – President (as elected) and Government Liaison (Non-IAP representative);
Harry Protoolis – Vice President and Membership (Non-IAP representative);
David Kitson – Secretary (IAP representative);
Michael O’Reilly – Treasurer (IAP representative);
Kimberley Heitman – Media Liaison (Non-IAP representative);
Maryanne Bradbury – WWW (Non-IAP representative); and
Steve Hancock – Internet Liaison (IAP representative).

Each Executive member set forth enthusiastically to set their portfolios up and begin to design the parameters by which they would operate. As with any organisation, the first few months met with a number of teething problems which were resolved with time.

Shortly after the Christmas break of 1995/6 we regrettably accepted the resignation of Maryanne Bradbury from the Executive and, as per the constitution, rapidly moved to find a replacement. This replacement was found in the person of Kim Davies who took over the portfolio of the third Non-IAP representative and the responsibilities of maintaining the Association’s web presence at www.waia.asn.au

In June the Executive was forced into a second alteration with our Secretary, David Kitson, no longer being able to stand as an IAP representative yet still wishing to remain on the Board. By coincidence I was now able to stand as an IAP representative so, to ensure continuity in the Board, David Kitson became a Non-IAP representative and I became an IAP representative.

These two changes were the only ones to occur on the Executive for the 1995/6 Association year which has resulted in, at the time of writing, with the following members handling the subsequent portfolios:

Paul McCutcheon – President (as elected) and Government Liaison (IAP representative);
Harry Protoolis – Vice President and Membership (Non-IAP representative);
David Kitson – Secretary (Non-IAP representative);
Michael O’Reilly – Treasurer (IAP representative);
Kimberley Heitman – Media Liaison (Non-IAP representative);
Kim Davies – WWW (Non-IAP representative); and
Steve Hancock – Internet Liaison (IAP representative).

Government and the Censorship Bill
At the time of the formation of the Executive liaison between an infant WAIA and the Western Australian State Government were already well and truly underway with regards to a proposed state censorship Bill.

From the efforts of Diego Campagna of GlobalData Pty. Ltd., one of the members of the original WAIA foundation committee, a relationship between WAIA and Gary Newcombe of the WA Censorship Department and Frank Morrisey of the WA Justice Department was established. This relationship continues today.

Due to this relationship, WAIA has worked closely with both of the aforementioned Government Officers on a mutually beneficial arrangement to ensure a, hopefully, workable Censorship Act for the state of Western Australia in the form of the Censorship Act of 1996.

Part of the Censorship Act of 1996 is the establishment and gazetting of a Code of Practice for IAP’s and, due mainly to the efforts of Kim Heitman, I am proud to say that projections are good that WAIA’s Code of Conduct will be gazetted by the Minister, Mrs Cheryl Edwardes, and will henceforth become the aforementioned Code of Practice.

This relationship is an Australian first and, quite possibly, world first. It is proof positive that such relationships are beneficial and it is hoped that other Governments and organisations learn from our example.

Promoting our Aims
As per the Aims of the Association, the Board has also been working strongly for the past year in promoting our Aims and Objects throughout the Internet community in Australia.

In May we received word that efforts by Michael Malone of Iinet Technologies Pty. Ltd. who, at the time, was in South Australia, and Brenda Ainsley of Electronic Frontiers Australia (EFA), had resulted in the establishment of an infant South Australian Internet Association (SAIA) in that State. SAIA wanted to set themselves up using our Constitution and Code of Conduct and, due to possible copyright concerns, permission was so given.

In August we also became aware of the formation of the Australian Capital Territory Internet Association (ACTIA) and, following on from our previous work with SAIA, ACTIA came on board under similar circumstances.

In November we were notified of the formation of the Tasmanian Internet Association (TIA) who will also be following the same organisational concept as WAIA (and, by default, SAIA and ACTIA) have already established.

As Michael Malone recently stated, “And now we are four”.

I have also become aware via discussions with people in Victoria that the VIA may well be the next body to form. I’m in “wait and see” mode on this but I’m confident that the people I spoke to have the drive and perseverance to see the body through to incorporation and beyond.

Our current four Associations are independent by law but act as one in a great majority of issues. As I spoke at the beginning of the year, and now that we have at least three Internet Associations, the time has come to actively consider Federating these bodies under one banner. By this, I mean that WAIA, SAIA, ACTIA and TIA, together with the hopeful creation of the News South Wales Internet Association (NSWIA), the Victorian Internet Association (VIA), the Queensland Internet Association (QIA), and the possible creation of the Northern Territory Internet Association (NTIA), will each place a minimum of one representative on a Federal body otherwise known as the Australian Internet Federation (AIF) to handle the Federal issues and yet maintain their own autonomy on their respective State issues.

It is my fervent hope that AIF, once established, will then be seen by the Federal Government as the true body representing the Internet community within Australia and not that “other” organisation who believe they represent the interests of the Internet community when all they represent is their own self-interests.

At present, it appears that each of our respective Associations receive only slightly better than lip service on a Federal level and it is hoped that a national body will rectify this situation.

Problems
For this inaugural year, WAIA has done well to meet both its Aims and Objectives but we are plagued with a major problem. We suffer from an overabundance of apathy from within the Western Australian Internet community that is holding us back from growth that WAIA should have little problem in experiencing. Apathy is our enemy and all members should be vigilant of this slow form of corporate death.

With the Censorship Act of 1996 coming into force on 1st November, and with the eventual gazetting of the Code of Conduct/Practice, WAIA should be looking towards expanding its growth and assisting the WA Internet community in understanding what is required of them under this Act.

WAIA is now in a position of great responsibility and we must continue to show the Minister that we are capable of handling this responsibility. If we fail in this task we fail for the whole industry in Western Australia.

Conclusion
Being elected to the position of Inaugural President of WAIA by you, the members has been one of great challenge for me. I chaired a dream and helped make it a reality. At this time and if it is the wish of the membership I’ll be able to hand over the reins to my successor knowing that I have accomplished both my goals and the wishes of the combined membership. For the 1996/7 year I hope to dedicate my time to the creation of the AIF and its establishment as the premier representative body of the Internet community in Australia. Hence my stepping down from the honour of being your President this year.

For the 1995/6 year, I thank you. I had a blast.

To the Executive, thanks guys, you made my job fun and a hell of a lot easier.

Paul McCutcheon
President
Western Australian Internet Association (Inc.)
Entered by: Paul McCutcheon

Jari Arkko – Evolving the Internet through COVID 19 and Beyond

Guest speaker Jari Arkko of Ericsson research spoke at our 2020 AGM. Jari’s presentation Evolving the Internet through COVID-19 and Beyond looked at how the Internet has been coping during these periods of lockdown, other changes brought about by the pandemic, and what lessons can be learned from these into the future.

WiTWA – Tech [+] Awards

Each year Women in Technology WA (WiTWA) hosts the Tech [+] Awards as a way to shine a light on the diversity of women who work in tech roles and organisations in Western Australia. This event showcases the incredible talent of women in various technology industries.

There are currently four categories for people who identify as women in tech [+] in Western Australia:

  • Tech [+] 20 – the 20 nominees who get the highest scores from the judging panel
  • First Among Equals – highest score of all from judging panel
  • Outstanding Youth Role Model – highest who is 25 or younger – does not have to be top 20
  • Outstanding Regional Role Model – highest who is regional – does not have to be top 20
  • People’s Choice – highest number of votes by the people/community

The lack of gender balance is not just a problem for women, so in 2020, WiTWA added a new award to shine a light on their allies. The Outstanding Allyship Award – open to anyone who does not identify as a woman.

If you would like further information on the WiTWA Tech [+] Awards or would like to nominate someone, please visit the WiTWA website.

Nominations close Sunday, August 8 2021, at 11:55pm AWST.

The WiTWA Tech [+] Awards Gala Night:

Date: Friday, 5 November 2021
Time: 7:00pm AWST

Please register your interest here.

The Internet 2021 and Beyond

Are you concerned with the existing threats to our Internet? How about the growth challenges, structural problems, and competing interests arising from commercial, social, and regulatory forces?

Join us as our very own Narelle Clark discusses both current and future challenges of the modern Internet and reviews practical solutions, suitable for both citizens and network builders and operators.

This event is set to be engaging, informative, and a must-attend for those with vested interests in the internet.

Date: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
Time: 4:00pm AWST / 6:00pm AEST
Location: Online

If you would like to attend, please register here.

For more information on this event, please see the Australian Computer Society website or contact us at events@internet.asn.au

We look forward to seeing you there!

Measuring Broadband Australia Program

Earlier this year, our Internet Service Provider (ISP) members were granted eligibility to join the ACCC’s broadband monitoring program. Prior to this, only larger ISPs could participate, providing them with a competitive, marketable advantage.

Following our successful appeal to the ACCC, several members have become eligible to join the program, and we encourage our members to do so. This program provides the opportunity for greater internet performance transparency, allowing smaller ISPs to participate actively and be included in the MBA reports. It further enables members to include speed and technical quality in marketing collateral alongside the bigger players.

For a detailed explanation of this program, check out our 2020 event Life Under Lockdown: how good is our internet.

If you would like to join the program, please contact the ACCC directly at BroadbandPerformance@accc.gov.au