[LINK] Fwd: MR43/2011: Greater mobile take-up: lesser understanding about traditional billing information [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]

[Antony Barry]

Begin forwarded message:

> From: media at acma.gov.au
> Date: 13 May 2011 8:31:03 AM AEST
> To: <tony at tony-barry.emu.id.au>
> Subject: MR43/2011: Greater mobile take-up: lesser understanding about traditional billing information [SEC=UNCLASSIFIED]
> Reply-To: media at acma.gov.au
> 
> 13 May 2011
> 
> Greater mobile take-up: lesser understanding 
> about traditional billing information
> 
> The vast majority of Australian telephone 
> consumers have a patchy understanding of 
> billing and call price information, according 
> to ACMA research released today into how 
> consumers’ use and understand their phone 
> services and numbers. 
> 
> ‘There have been profound changes in the 
> range of telecommunications services 
> available, and the way consumers purchase and 
> use them,’ said ACMA Chairman, Chris Chapman. 
> 
> ‘These changes have significant implications 
> for regulatory arrangements, particularly 
> those protections that rely on consumers’ 
> understanding the structure of telephone 
> numbers.’ 
> 
> The findings are canvassed and analysed in 
> the ACMA’s fourth consultation paper in its 
> numbering work program Numbering: 
> 'Implications of research into consumer 
> issues.'
> 
> The research provides important evidence of 
> how Australians are using and thinking about 
> their communication services, which will be 
> invaluable as government and regulators 
> consider how to manage the transition to a 
> more converged world. 
> 
> It found that mobile phones continue to leap 
> ahead as the main communication service, now 
> being so for nearly half of all Australians 
> (47 per cent), compared with 33 per cent 
> primarily with fixed landline. 
> 
> ‘There has also been a sea change in the way 
> communications services are purchased,’ Mr 
> Chapman added. ‘Bundled plans have become 
> very popular. The research found that three 
> in five mobile phone users and two in five 
> home phone users report have a usage plan. 
> Those that have a usage plan for only one 
> service report a higher proportion of calls 
> from that service compared to the service 
> without a cap or deal.
> 
> ‘Both of these trends are major factors 
> contributing to a decline in consumers’ 
> understanding of the price and location 
> information embedded in traditional fixed 
> telephone numbers, meaning that embedding 
> this information may no longer be an 
> effective mechanism to fulfil consumer 
> protection needs.
> 
> ‘A related topic was consumers’ understanding 
> of less frequently called number types such 
> as 13/1300 and 1800 numbers,’ Mr Chapman 
> said. 
> 
> ‘It seems these are confusing for many 
> Australians compared to more frequently 
> called numbers like mobile and local numbers. 
> One in five Australians was either unable to 
> define a local call from a landline or their 
> explanation was incorrect.’ 
> 
> While a majority of Australians continue to 
> keep and use a hard copy classified, 
> directory, all except those aged over 65 
> years are just as likely to use the 
> electronic version as the hard copy 
> directory. 
> 
> Directories and directory assistance services 
> are used twice as often to find a business 
> number as a residential number, indicating 
> that the role directories have played 
> historically by encouraging call connections 
> between people may be declining. 
> 
> In this paper, the ACMA is seeking feedback 
> on the implications of these findings, 
> including how regulatory arrangements might 
> be adjusted over time to reflect and 
> facilitate changes in consumer communication 
> use including whether telephone numbers 
> remain the most effective strategy for 
> providing price information.
> 
> The ACMA’s first consultation paper, 
> 'Numbering: Structure of Australia’s 
> telephone numbering plan,' raised a number of 
> consumer issues and this new research 
> provides further insights into those matters. 
> 
> The changing patterns of consumer use 
> observed by the research further confirms the 
> challenges facing those specific objectives 
> which rely on the attributes embedded in 
> numbers, as outlined in the second 
> paper,'Numbering: Customer location 
> information and numbering data.'
> 
> The ACMA is seeking responses by 1 July 2011.
> 
> For more information or to arrange an 
> interview please contact: Emma Rossi, Media 
> Manager, on (02) 9334 7980, 0418 86 1766 or 
> media at acma.gov.au.
> 
> ________________________________________
> The ACMA is Australia’s regulator for 
> broadcasting, the internet, 
> radiocommunications and telecommunications. 
> The ACMA’s strategic intent is to make 
> communications and media work in Australia’s 
> public interest. For more information: 
> www.acma.gov.au. 
> ________________________________________
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