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Internet Association Welcomes INSLM Report

The Internet Association of Australia (IAA) welcomes the long awaited release of the Independent National Security Legislation Monitor’s report into the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018. IAA appreciates the considerable effort the INSLM has put into the review, including the time spent with IAA members discussing their concerns.

“Internet service providers need confidence that the orders they receive from law enforcement are properly scrutinised and appropriate,” said Ms Clark, CEO. “If ISPs are being required to undermine the reliability and security of internet services, they must be confident it is for a correspondingly well-founded, serious and life-threatening reason. The INSLM recommendations, if implemented, will go some way towards providing this guarantee.”

The additional scrutiny being proposed by the INSLM, in the form of an Investigatory Powers Commissioner, should be established urgently and provided with the appropriate resources, such as an independent advisory body for technical matters. IAA is willing to assist with such a body, to ensure that the internet industry is properly represented. “Our members have very real challenges in implementing TANs and TCNs, and these need to be taken into account. It has all too often been the case that the realities of implementation and resource requirements are not understood”, Ms Clark said today.

The members of IAA are vital in the provision of a trusted internet and trusted telecommunications, as well as of content and communications services broadly. The Australian community has shown its willingness to rely – and indeed depend on –these providers throughout the pandemic. This trust deserves to be rewarded with corresponding reliability. The creation of systems that undermine that trust – through under-scrutinised access mechanisms, such as TANs and TCNs – will only harm the economy and Australia’s social fabric at a vulnerable time. It is therefore vital that the INSLM’s recommendations be adopted.

Additional matters which are not fully addressed within the report pertain to the compliance burden that IAA members have pointed to previously. The industry bears a considerable compliance burden already, and this type of legislation, of which we have seen considerable amounts over recent years, only adds to it. The level of support required to implement TANs and TCNs is difficult to forecast, and therefore difficult to plan for and cost. Just analysing the requirements of the legislation alone is a challenge for the typical small internet provider.

Further, IAA would like to see greater protections for internet service providers and their staff when acting to protect the communications of Australians or when complying with legislation such as TOLA. IAA is not satisfied that there are sufficient protections for ISP employees acting in good faith in the performance of their duties, and further clarity on the potential for hefty fines or incarceration is urgently required.

IAA Appoint New CEO

Many of you will have received notification already or may have seen recent articles in the media announcing the news that the Association has appointed Narelle Clark as its new Chief Executive Officer.

Narelle had been contracting as General Manager for the Association since October 2019 and was successful in securing the CEO role after an extensive search was undertaken.

“Internet exchanges are proven to be a vital part of a reliable, affordable internet, so I am absolutely thrilled to take on this position,” said Ms Clark.

“IAA’s infrastructure is second to none, with the widest number of points of presence, the most extensive content arrangements and a member base that spans all parts of Australia’s Internet. Without the collaboration between builders, content and service providers Australians would not have enjoyed the level of Internet performance during lockdown we have seen.”

The newly established position will be responsible for driving both the technical and membership services sides of the Association, continuing to execute the 2020 strategic plan and build on our reputation for peering excellence.

“The high regard with which Narelle is held across the industry means our internet exchange operations will continue to grow and deliver across Australia and New Zealand, while we increase our work in member services and the Internet policy arena,” explains IAA Chair, David Hooton.

Narelle’s background is as a data comms engineer with a strong focus on policy. She comes to the Association with a career across the internet and telecommunications industry in Australia and internationally, having undertaken senior roles in a range of service providers, not-for profit organisations and policy and standards working groups. She has held prominent industry roles with CSIRO, Optus, the Public Interest Registry (operator of .Org), and ACCAN, and consulted to Telecom New Zealand, government departments and telecommunications and content providers.

Please join us in welcoming Narelle on board. Why not join her and the team at our online event?

Internet Association Announces Appointment of CEO

The Internet Association of Australia is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms Narelle Clark as its Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately.

After an exhaustive search, the Board determined that Narelle’s combination of deep Internet expertise, all-round industry knowledge and drive will enable the Association to move to the next level. The high regard with which Narelle is held across the industry means our Internet Exchange operations will continue to grow and deliver across Australia and New Zealand, in tandem with an increase in our work in member services and the Internet policy arena.

We are pleased that Narelle has taken on this challenging position and are confident she will embrace our plans to expand member services with enthusiasm. We have been seeking to increase our policy engagement and introduce a range of member education offers and Narelle’s experience will guide us well into the future.

“I would like to convey to members how keen I am to take on this position” said Ms Clark. “IAA’s infrastructure is second to none, with the widest number of points of presence, the most extensive content arrangements, and a member base that spans all parts of Australia’s Internet. Without the collaboration between builders, content and service providers Australians would not have enjoyed the level of Internet performance during lockdown we have seen.”

The Association recently observed some 100Gbps of additional Internet traffic across its exchanges, noting near perfect uptime across the peering fabric.

Narelle comes to the Association with a stellar career across the internet and telecommunications industry both within Australia and internationally, having held senior roles in a range of service providers, not-for profit organisations and policy and standards working groups. She has held prominent industry roles with CSIRO, Optus, the Public Interest Registry (operator of .Org), and ACCAN, and consulted to Telecom New Zealand, government departments and telecommunications and content providers. Narelle is a Senior Member of the IEEE, and has a Bachelors degree in Applied Physics, a Masters in Engineering (Telecommunications) and a postgraduate diploma in Management.

Please join us in welcoming Narelle on board, we are excited to see continued growth and success of the Association under her leadership.

IAA Disaster Coordination

Support for members and community affected by the fires

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