Issue: 43/08

ATUG Member Survey

November 05 , 2008

ATUG Priorities 2009

ATUG is working now on the program of Information and Networking events for 2009 and we are keen to understand the focus areas for members in the coming twelve months so we can target our information gathering, updating and networking events on the topics of most interest to most members.

We are also keen to focus our advocacy work on the issues of most concern to members in 2009.

To help us do this we would ask all members – end users, industry and expert to complete our online survey on Priorities for 2009.

The results of the survey will be kept anonymous but made public in aggregate to guide ATUG discussions with industry, policy makers and regulators.

To encourage members to complete the survey ATUG is offering a Free Pass to the ATUG 2009 Policy Update event including Gala Dinner valued at $995. The prize will be drawn by ATUG Chairman David Swift at the ATUG Board meeting in November. Surveys need to be completed by 15 November.

To complete the survey please Click Here

2008 has seen two important issues progressed on the basis of member input:

The Roam Fair Campaign – which is being progressed both in Australia and internationally. Locally, the House of Representatives Inquiry continues to collect information on why prices are unacceptably high for mobile roaming services and what can be done to ensure prices reduce to competitive levels and beyond that what can be done to provide information that is easy to access and easy to understand. Internationally Australia is looking at options through relationships under the Closer Economic Relationship with New Zealand, APEC and other international fora. When large private and government organisations have no ability to negotiate competitive prices for international roaming services, a regulatory solution is needed – as has been demonstrated in Europe.

The National Broadband Network – ATUG used member input to make our submission to the Expert Taskforce in March 2008, to the Regulatory Framework Inquiry in June 2008, to the Remote Solutions Inquiry in June 2008 and to the Senate Inquiry in August 2008. ATUG was reminded by a question at the Senate Hearing last week that we have been on a journey for over 8 years now of securing high quality, affordable broadband for all Australians. The promise of broadband for economic outcomes won’t be achieved unless all Australians can access good, affordable broadband. ATUG has seen the broadband issue through various phases and levels of interest: 19.2 kbps is sufficient, there will be no Government subsidy, industry will not build ahead of demand, HiBIS 1 and 2, ABG 1, OPEL, ADSL2+ withheld, ABG 2, Election 2007, OPEL withdrawn, ABG 3 and now NBN. ATUG’s priorities for the NBN are:

· Clear Policy Objectives focusing on the Long-term interests of end users
· Affordability
· End User Choice
· Wholesale Service Equivalence
· Good Customer Experience
· Ubiquity

In 2009 both Roam Fair and the NBN will remain in clear focus but there are other issues emerging and these will be the subject of a series of ATUG Future Forums during 2009. We will also be looking at strategies for Telecoms Expense Management and the potential for Next Generation Communications such as Unified Comms, Telepresence, and Mobile Broadband to make a difference to enterprises.

The feedback we obtain through our 2009 Priorities Survey will guide all this work and ensure that ATUG’s focus in 2009 is directed to the issues of important to our members.

We look forward to your contribution to the survey and the forums in 2009.