Category Archives: Backgrounders

TCPCode.com.au traffic on the rise

Posted on 19 September 2012 by Peter Moon

Since launching in the last week of June, TCPCode.com.au has enjoyed strong viewer growth, suggesting that the Code is registering on the radar of an increasing number of telcos.  It’s good to know that the number of unique visitors is … Continue reading →

Posted in Backgrounders | Leave a comment

Engaging with TCP Code deniers

Posted on 19 September 2012 by Peter Moon

Lots of individuals in Australia’s telco industry are right behind the 2012 TCP Code. But it seems that in many companies, somebody appoints themself Chief Code Denier. As part of a strong compliance effort, it’s important to engage them. We’re … Continue reading →

Posted in Backgrounders, Staff Training | Leave a comment

Cooper Mills releases Chapter 3 Checklist

Posted on 18 September 2012 by Peter Moon

Chapter 3 – General Rules of the TCP Code is one of two ‘umbrella’ chapters.  It applies to the whole of the rest of the Code.  (So does Chapter 9 – Code Compliance and Monitoring).  Cooper Mills has released our … Continue reading →

Posted in Backgrounders | Tagged | Leave a comment

Six weeks until advertising changes start

Posted on 14 September 2012 by Peter Moon

15 September marks the start of the final six weeks before the new ‘unit pricing in advertising’ rules come into force. You can bet a lot of people, including ACMA, will be watching closely to see who complies and who … Continue reading →

Posted in Advertising, Backgrounders | Leave a comment

‘Incidental Service Providers’ and the TCP Code

Posted on 13 September 2012 by Peter Moon

One kind of ISP deserves special consideration when it comes to the TCP Code. These are better described as ‘Incidental Service Providers’ than ‘Internet Service Providers’. A typical example is an IT support company that also supplies a few internet … Continue reading →

Posted in Backgrounders | Leave a comment

Peter Moon writes about TCP Code in the AFR

Posted on 11 September 2012 by Peter Moon

Cooper Mills telco lawyer Peter Moon has today devoted his weekly Australian Financial Review column to a status report on the 2012 TCP Code, now that it is in force. What struck us was how pro-active some providers are being, … Continue reading →

Posted in Backgrounders, Criticising the Code | Leave a comment

Internode goes first with Critical Information Summary

Posted on 3 September 2012 by Peter Moon

Even though it won’t be compulsory for service providers to publish Critical Information Summaries until 1 March 2013, iiNet’s Internode division has released the first CIS we’ve seen in the wild. We’re certainly not going to get picky about this. … Continue reading →

Posted in Backgrounders | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Midnight, and the 2012 TCP Code has launched

Posted on 1 September 2012 by Peter Moon

After a couple of years of enquiry, policy making, drafting and negotiation, the 2012 Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code is off the launch pad. From midnight at the start of 1 January 2012, a largely new set of rules applies to … Continue reading →

Posted in Backgrounders | Leave a comment

Hold the phone on recording rule

Posted on 30 August 2012 by Peter Moon

One provision of the new TCP Code could be positively dangerous, and reflects a widespread misunderstanding about Australian telecommunications law.  And we mean ‘widespread’.  Many people don’t realise that recording a customer call can incur 2 years jail time. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Backgrounders | Leave a comment

Memo to telcos: AS 3806 covers all your Code obligations

Posted on 28 August 2012 by Peter Moon

At a meeting the other day, someone used the expression ‘the parts of the TCP Code that the Australian Standard is relevant to’. It set us thinking, ‘What parts isn’t AS 3806 relevant to?’ From a service provider’s point of … Continue reading →

Posted in Backgrounders | Leave a comment