Recently, Australian
Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released a research which found that
in the past year, almost 32 per cent of mobile users in Australia have wanted
to make a 13/1300 call from their mobile but not done so because of concern
about call costs.
Deputy CEO of the Australian
Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), Mr. Narelle Clark said that ACCAN
remains concerned about the affordability of calling a 13/1300 number from a
mobile.
He said that “We are yet to be
convinced that the industry proposal to charge 13 numbers for the ‘included
value’ of a mobile plan will turn around this alarming figure on 13 call
affordability".
As we know that these 13 numbers
are commonly used by organizations such as mental health services, government,
banks and insurance companies it is important that they remain affordable to
call.
Mr. Clark said that, “ACCAN will
be carefully monitoring the consumer impact of the industry guideline and we
will be making sure the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)
keeps to its promise that vulnerable consumers will benefit from this scheme.”
Australian Communications
Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), has been calling for more affordable calls to
13 numbers for the last four years.
It can also be shown in the
report that a number of services targeted at vulnerable consumers had adopted
1300 numbers as an affordable call option because traditionally industry had
charged them at a low fixed rate. The affordability problem has arisen since
the 13/1300 number scheme has been charged as a timed rate on mobile networks.
