Commonwealth Numbered Acts

TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1989No. 53, 1989 - SECT 3

3. The objects of this Act include:

   (a)  ensuring that the standard telephone service supplied by Telecom
        (namely, the public switched telephone service):

        (i)    is supplied as efficiently and economically as practicable;

        (ii)   is, in view of the social importance of the service, reasonably
               accessible to all people in Australia on an equitable basis,
               wherever they reside or carry on business; and

        (iii)  is supplied at performance standards that reasonably meet the
               social, industrial and commercial needs of the Australian
               community;

   (b)  maximising the efficiency of the carriers and enabling them to meet
        their commercial and general governmental obligations and, in the case
        of Telecom, its community service obligations;

   (c)  ensuring that the carriers achieve the highest possible levels of
        accountability and responsiveness to customer and community needs;

   (d)  achieving optimal rates of expansion and modernisation for Australia's
        telecommunications infrastructure and networks, and, for example, the
        introduction of new and diverse telecommunications services;

   (e)  enabling all sectors of the Australian telecommunications industry to
        participate effectively in Australian and overseas telecommunications
        markets on a commercial basis; and

   (f)  promoting the development of other sectors of the Australian economy
        through the commercial supply of a full range of modern
        telecommunications services at the lowest possible prices.