Consumer publications
Key performance indicator s
• Consumer awareness of safeguards and telecommunications issues improves,based on survey results and stakeholder feedback.
• Performance reports and Consumer Bulletins are produced in accordance with deadlines.
• ACA publications are more widely used and reported on in the media. • Public awareness of the ACA,its role,publications and website increases. • The ACA consumer Tool Kit is widely known and used.
• Carrier self-reporting is implemented.
• Consumer information products achieve objectives,demonstrably meet consumer needs and are delivered in a timely and cost-effective manner.
• Consumer awareness of benefits and responsibilities,as measured by surveys or other means,improves over time.
Performance reporting
The ACA’sTelecommunications Performance Monitoring Bulletin is a quarterly publication that reports on car rier and CSP performance. It includes information on performance in meeting Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) Standard timeframes and mobile phone service carrier performance against a greed indicators for call drop-outs and call congestion.
CHAPTER 5
C
ONSUMER INFORMATION
KEY OBJECTIVES
A priority for the ACA is to raise community awareness about communications
issues and consumer safeguards. This involves both information provision and
consultation with consumers to assist the ACA in its work.
Our broad objectives are as follows:
• The community is well informed about telecommunications matters.
• Consumers are consulted through formal arrangements and the long-term
84 ACA Annual Report 2002–03
In 2002–03,the main additions to the information presented in the bulletin included: • CSP data on extreme cases of failure to meet connection and fault rectification
timeframes specified in the CSG Standard;
• Telstra’s performance against the Network Reliability Framework;
• Telstra’s performance against its reduced connection timeframes in minor rural and remote areas without infrastructure;and
• Telstra’s performance against its Priority Assistance for Individuals Policy.
In 2002–03,the ACA engaged an external consultant to provide technical advice on the ongoing review of the mobile phone service key performance indicators (KPIs). Following the
consultant’s report,the ACA developed a revised monitoring and reporting framework,which was introduced on 1 January 2003.
Key elements of the revised framework include:
• minor modifications to the KPIs to improve consistency between carriers;
• annual monitoring for the GSM networks and the Hutchison CDMA network from 1 July 2003, recognising high levels of historical performance;
• the introduction of quarterly monitoring of Telstra’s CDMA network;and
• annual reporting by the ACA,including qualitative commentary on industry-wide performance rates and the performance trends of individual networks.
Annual performance reporting
The ACA reports annually to the Minister under section 105 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. After being presented to the Minister in November 2002,theTelecommunications Performance Report 2001–02 was tabled in Parliament in December 2002.
The report drew heavily on performance and compliance data requested from major industry carriers and CSPs. The ACA also gathered information from the ACCC,the TIO and ACIF. Information for two chapters of the report—those dealing with the Internet and mobile phone services—was provided by independent external consultants. The Allen Consulting Group used industry data and econometric modelling to produce a quantitative report on consumer benefits,disaggregated by region. As in previous years,the ACA drew upon its own surveys to provide data on consumer satisfaction and consumer awareness.
The report provided a detailed assessment of compliance with telecommunications regulations as well as a comprehensive report on progress in self-regulation and compliance with industry codes.
Consumer information products
During 2002–03,the ACA produced four issues of the Consumer Bulletin , with articles covering a broad range of communications and regulatory policy issues. One issue focused on Internet developments and information and the others covered topics such as emerging technologies, ENUM,the national relay service and the results of consumer research. The Consumer Bulletin continues to be distributed to a wide cross-section of community representatives and
organisations.
The ACA also published consumer and industry fact sheets and information brochures about current communications issues. Some of the more recent fact sheets cover the digital data service obligation,Internet technology, untimed local calls and upgraded services for remote Australia. To ensure consumer information is widely available, fact sheets are placed on the ACA website in two formats and printed for distribution. Fact sheet order forms are inserted in each issue of the Consumer Bulletin and are available from ACA offices.
Comprehensive electronic information for consumers and industry is provided on the ACA website,including the Tool Kit (see Education campaignsbelow). Apart from fact sheets, publications on the website include consumer alerts,consumer notices,frequently asked questions,information brochures,media releases and reports.
Consumer research
Consumer satisfaction survey
The ACA conducts annual consumer satisfaction sur veys as part of its ongoing
telecommunications industry monitoring and reporting responsibilities. The purpose of this survey is to gauge consumer satisfaction and perceptions of services offered,covering fixed and mobile phone,payphone,Internet access and pay TV services. A report on the 2003 consumer
satisfaction survey will be published later in 2003 and findings will also be reported in the ACA’sTelecommunications Performance Report 2002–03 . Key topics covered in the 2002 survey, reported in December 2002,included general issues such as satisfaction with customer service,consumer perception of costs of telecommunications services,and attitudes towards information offered by service providers and competitive aspects of key telecommunications services.
In 2002 there was a general decline in satisfaction across most aspects of the
telecommunications services that were measured. Satisfaction levels for Internet services were generally better than for fixed or mobile services but,in general,satisfaction levels were down for all services.
The main findings of the ACA’s 2002 consumer satisfaction survey were:
• most respondents perceived local,national and international call costs as about right, but line rental and mobile phone costs as too high;
• very low satisfaction with customer service,payphones and the technical quality of mobile phone services (coverage and drop-outs);
• low satisfaction with Internet services overall;
• very high dissatisfaction with fixed line phone repair services;
• low and very low satisfaction with the availability and comparability of information;and • lower satisfaction about price competition for fixed,mobile and Internet services than
in 2001.
The survey also collected information about service usage,including:
• a decline in reported payphone usa ge from 55 per cent in 2001 to 44 per cent in 2002, possibly reflecting widespread use of mobile phones;
• higher usage of payphones reported by remote compared with urban respondents; • continued growth in Internet access in 2002,with one in two households and two in
three small businesses reporting they were connected;
• higher reported Internet access among urban compared with non-urban respondents; • an increase in the number of households connected to pay TV, from 16 per cent in 2001
to 24 per cent in 2002,with 52 per cent of these nominating Foxtel as their provider.
In 2002 there was a general decline in
satisfaction across most aspects of the
telecommunications services that were
measured.
86 ACA Annual Report 2002–03
Consumer awareness and information needs survey
The ACA also conducts research to provide information about consumer information needs to be able to target its information campaigns and general communications. The ACA reported on its fourth annual awareness and information needs survey in October 2002. A random sample of 1,205 residential and 310 small business telecommunication users across Australia were surveyed.
The survey indicated a shift towards less confidence and greater confusion about
telecommunications services among residential and small business respondents. There was an associated increase in interest in finding out more about telecommunications issues. Interest increased most among small business respondents about the following issues:
• costs of calls for different types of numbers,such as 13 and 190 numbers; • who can install extra phone sockets on business premises;and
• privacy and security issues,such as calling number display.
The 2002 survey also indicated that the use of telecommunications services rose slightly over the last year, as did awareness and knowledge about telecommunications issues. In particular, awareness and knowledge improved in:
• awareness of fixed line number portability among small business respondents (10 per cent increase),and
• awareness of residential respondents that contracts to change a fixed line service provider can be entered into over the phone (six per cent increase).
As in the 2001 survey, respondents demonstrated greater familiarity with the concepts behind the CSG Standard and the universal service obligation than with these terms. Although generally aware of guaranteed times for service connections, repairs and appointments,and provision of access to telephone services across Australia,there was limited awareness that compensation is automatically payable if the timeframes of the CSG Standard are not met.
The survey also indicated a slight increase in the use of mobile phones since last year and growth in the use of short message service. However, few regular users knew they could contact the emergency call service from a GSM mobile phone by dialling 112 or that this number could be dialled from a handset locked with a personal identity number.
Awareness that numbers could be transfer red or ‘ported’between mobile phone service providers was much higher than awareness of number portability between GSM and CDMA networks.
This year’s survey showed a substantial increase in the number of Internet connections,
particularly among small business respondents. High data rate Internet connections constitute a small but growing component of the market. Overall,there were indications of greater
satisfaction among both residential and small business respondents who have an Internet connection.
Investigation of some new issues in 2002 revealed relatively low levels of awareness among both residential and small business respondents about:
• options for barring access to higher charge services from fixed line telephones;and
The survey indicated a shift towards less
confidence and greater confusion about
telecommunications services among residential
and small business respondents.
• Commonwealth regulations to limit human exposure to electromagnetic radiation emissions,with opinion divided among those who were aware about whether these measures were sufficient to protect public health.
Education campaigns
Key performance indicator s
• Requests for information are responded to within the service delivery standards of the ACA’sCustomer Service Charter.
• The level of public awareness of consumer rights and responsibilities as measured in the customer satisfaction and awareness surveys improves.
Consumer information campaigns
Following the successful launch of the mobile phone Tool Kit in May 2002,modules covering fixed line telephone and Internet access services were launched by the Minister, Senator Richard Alston,on 4 June 2003.
The Tool Kit was developed by the ACA following the finding of the Telecommunications Service Inquiry in 2000 that awareness levels of telecommunications service options among consumers was low. ACA research also confirmed that consumers felt confused by the amount
and complexity of information available,and many people find choosing the right product or service a difficult and daunting task.
The Tool Kit aims to assist consumers to better understand their telecommunications needs and make an informed choice. It does not recommend particular products or services. The Tool Kit is a package of easy-to-follow written information,a CD-ROM and a portal on the ACA website. Consumers using the portal fill in an interactive online
questionnaire and receive a summary report. The interactive questionnaire is also on the CD-ROM. Each module includes a comprehensive information booklet as well as fact sheets on related issues.
The Tool Kit modules cover the following topics:
• mobile phones—choosing between signing a contract or paying a monthly bill without a contract or buying a pre-paid mobile phone service,using a mobile phone in country areas,selecting a handset for use with a hearing aid,call costs and handset security; • Internet services—choosing an Internet service provider, usage allowances,account
options,technical support,dial-up access,broadband services and satellite-based Internet services;and
Senator Richar d Alston launches the ACA’s fixed line and Internet Tool Kit modules in June 2003
88 ACA Annual Report 2002–03
• fixed line telephones—call costs for different types of calls, choosing a telephone company for certain call types (pre-selection),local number portability and the relative benefits of installing a second telephone line or selecting a service based on an alternative technology, such as ISDN.
From June 2003,the ACA conducted another information campaign to publicise the Tool Kit modules. Information strategies included press advertising,media relations and meetings with
interest groups and other stakeholders,as well as
distributing the Tool Kit at home shows and field days around the country. A free call 1800 number was advertised as a contact point for more information. At 30 June 2003,approximately 14,000 Tool Kits had been distributed to consumers and consumer groups, including 10,000 distributed during Stage 1 of the Tool Kit education campaign,which began in 2001–02. More than 46,000 hits have been registered on the Tool Kit website portal (see Table 10) in the same period.
Table 10: ACA consumer information Tool Kit
Print format Tool Kits distributed CD-ROMs Hotline Website distributed calls hits Mobile Internet Fixed
10,866 1,282 978 1,005 1,143 46,646
Other consumer information activities
Information activities and campaigns on a variety of issues were conducted during the year (see Chapter 6 under Communications),and ACA offices around Australia provided information to consumers directly through telephone contact,written and email communications and shopfront services.
Consumer Consultative Forum
The Consumer Consultative Forum (CCF) is an important and highly valued consumer consultation mechanism for the ACA. It was established under the Australian
Communications Authority Act 1997 to:
• assist the ACA with consumer consultation on matters relating to its telecommunications functions;
• ensure that consumer interests are adequately considered in the ACA’s decision making; and
• assist in informing the community about telecommunications service issues and industry matters.
The CCF meets twice yearly and gives consumer groups an opportunity to be informed about and discuss communications issues affecting consumers. The ACA held forums in September 2002 and April 2003.
A review of CCF membership was conducted in August 2002. The review found that inclusion of organisations representing the aged and youth community sectors would be beneficial. The Youth Action and Policy Association and the Council on the Ageing were appointed to the forum. A list of current member organisations is in Appendix 11.
