ACCC gives IAA members an MBA

Are you interested in finding out how your network’s broadband performance stacks up against others in the industry? Our Internet Service Provider (ISP) members are now eligible to join the ACCC’s broadband monitoring program. Some members had complained to IAA that only larger ISPs (and we know who they are) were able to participate in the program and were then using it for marketing. We’ve all seen those ‘Best ISP as Measured by the ACCC’ claims on the backs of buses and online advertising, but members complained that smaller ISPs aren’t even on the list to compare. Meaning that consumers hunting new services would only see the same old big players, and no-one else. We raised this with the ACCC and now our members are eligible to join.

The Measuring Broadband Australia (MBA) program provides information on the real-world performance of Internet plans. Its aim is to provide Australian consumers with accurate and independent information to assist their purchasing decisions. The ACCC will assist you in getting on board, and provide the measurement equipment, they just need you to assist in recruiting the measuring customers. If you can’t get enough customers to join, then you won’t be measured. Also, if you do join, your first measurement quarter will be disclosed privately so you have the opportunity to check all is correctly in place.

We invite our members to contact the ACCC directly on BroadbandPerformance@accc.gov.au to express their interest in joining the program. This is a fantastic opportunity for greater Internet performance transparency, allowing smaller ISPs to actively participate and be included in the MBA reports, and give you the opportunity to include speed and technical quality in your marketing alongside the big guys.