Commonwealth Consolidated Acts

TELECOMMUNICATIONS (CONSUMER PROTECTION AND SERVICE STANDARDS) ACT 1999 - SECT 8A

                   The objects of this Part are to give effect to the following policy principles:

                     (a)  all people in Australia, wherever they reside or carry on business, should have reasonable access, on an equitable basis, to:

                              (i)  standard telephone services; and

                             (ii)  payphones; and

                            (iii)  prescribed carriage services; and

                            (iv)  digital data services;

                     (b)  the universal service obligation described in section 9 and the digital data service obligation described in section 10 should be fulfilled:

                              (i)  effectively, efficiently and economically; and

                             (ii)  in ways that are consistent with Australia's open and competitive telecommunications regime; and

                            (iii)  in ways that are, as far as practicable, responsive to the needs of consumers;

                     (c)  the fulfilment of the universal service obligation described in section 9, and the digital data service obligation described in section 10, should generally be open to competition among carriers and carriage service providers;

                     (d)  specific and predictable funding arrangements to advance the fulfilment of the universal service obligation, particularly in high cost areas, should be available;

                     (e)  providers of telecommunications services should contribute, in a way that is equitable and reasonable, to the funding of the universal service obligation and digital data service obligation;

                      (f)  information on the basis on which decisions are made for the purposes of the universal service regime should generally be open to public scrutiny;

                     (g)  the universal service regime should be flexible and able to deal with rapid changes in both the telecommunications industry and the needs of consumers.