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• Optus announces policy to support vulnerable customers
  in Business Telecoms
  By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

  Telecommunications company Optus announced its policy for customers experiencing vulnerability, which introduces a support team and specialist care who can help if a customer is impacted by domestic or family abuse, homelessness, disability, bereavement, or is facing other vulnerable circumstances.

  The policy comes as the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) legislated new rules that will require telcos to do more to support customers experiencing financial hardships.

  The rules came into effect last 29 March.

  The ACMA declared telcos must do more “proactively identify customers experiencing financial hardship and prioritise keeping them connected to services."

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  For Optus, factors that lead to vulnerability include major life changes, loss of loved ones, health issues, and natural disasters. While these can be temporary, they can span several years or become permanent in someone’s life.

  Optus managing director customer success Maurice McCarthy said it is "important customers know that we’re always ready to assist, no matter the cause."

  “Our new policy reaffirms our longstanding commitment to supporting all customers, including those who may be at risk of experiencing vulnerability,” McCarthy said.

  “Keeping customers safe and empowering them to stay connected is our priority, which is why we’ve invested in a number of support measures for our customers.”

  In physical stores, Optus’ retail employees have undertaken training to assist anyone wearing a hidden disabilities sunflower pin or lanyard.

  “Acknowledging the diverse backgrounds of our customers, we have made our policy accessible in Arabic, Cantonese, Mandarin, Punjabi, Vietnamese, and Tagalog. The policy will also be made available in Easy English,” Optus said in a statement.

  Optus retail store manager Shelley said specialist care has provided new ways for Optus to offer support in a meaningful and practical way and recounted how she had recently helped a victim of domestic violence engage with specialist care to regain control of her account.

  “The customer was emotional as we were speaking and it became clear we had a serious situation at hand,” Shelley said.

  Shelley identified that the customer had been cut off from her telecommunications service by an abusive partner who was an authorised representative on her account and engaged Specialist Care to support the customer.

  “I comforted the customer and assured her Optus has procedures in place to quickly restore the service and keep her connected,” Shelley said.
• China orders Apple to remove WhatsApp, Threads from app store
  in Technology Regulation
  By Sam Varghese

  China has ordered Apple to remove WhatsApp and Threads, both owned by Meta, from its app store in the country, the New York Times reports.

  The newspaper claimed this was a potential escalation of the tech war between the US and China.

  Apple told the NYT it had complied with the orders from Beijing as it had no choice but to do so, even if it disagreed.

  Also removed from the app store on Friday were Dubai-based Telegram and US-based Signal, with these claims attributed by the NYT to Appfigures, a market research company.

  {loadposition sam08}The newspaper cited an unidentified source as saying the government has discovered content on Threads and WhatsApp that were critical of Chinese President Xi Jinping and in violation of the country's cyber-security laws.

  The US and China have been involved in a tit-for-tat trade war ever since Donald Trump initiated it back in 2018. The most recent action taken by the US was a decision to raise tariffs on imports of Chinese steel and aluminium.

  The US has also been blocking sales of advanced semiconductors to China and blocked Huawei Technology, China's biggest telecommunications outfit, from participating in 5G rollouts after lobbying many of its allies to do likewise.

  The US House of Representatives is preparing to vote on a bill to force Chinese firm ByteDance to choose between selling its TikTok app or else have it banned in the US.

  The NYT said WhatsApp had been downloaded 15 million times in China while Threads, which was started by Facebook when Twitter, now known as X, hit some hurdles after it was bought by Elon Musk, had been downloaded 470,000 times.
• Alert: Fake product emails scam
  in Security
  By Gordon Peters

  Consumers have been warned about a new scam involving emails advertising fake products, with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) issuing a national alert.

  “Have you received an email trying to sell you a fantastic deal on a product? Be careful – it could be a scam,” the ACMA says.

  “Emails advertising fake products are a common type of scam designed to tempt the reader by offering products that are too good or too cheap to be true.

  “These scams will often impersonate known brands and products,” ACMA cautions, adding that “the scammers are trying to deceive you into handing over money or your financial details.”

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  • On what to look out for, ACMA notes that signs that an email may be a fake product scam include:
  • A sense of urgency – they may tell you that time is running out, offer you a massive discount, or claim it is your last chance to buy.
  • An unusual-looking email address – these often start with random letters, include misspellings, or have a domain name that is not related to the product in the email.
  • An incorrect website address – the website linked in the email will usually have a different address to the real brand’s website, although they may look similar.

  And if you want to know how to protect yourself, ACMA advises:

  • If you are unsure if a message is genuine – stop and think. Don’t rush to act.
  • Never click on any links or provide any personal or financial details if the sender is unknown or suspicious. If you need to check a message is genuine, contact the business using details you confirm yourself – for example, via an official website, bill or app.
  • Scammers target everyone. Talk with your friends and family – especially if they are in potentially vulnerable circumstances – about how to identify scams. Learn more about how to protect yourself from phone scams on the ACMA website.
  • If you think you’ve been scammed, contact your financial institution immediately to stop any payments and make a report to Scamwatch.The Scamwatch website also has helpful information about other steps you can take.

  ACMA says IDCARE can help if your identity has been compromised or stolen - call 1800 595 160 or visit  www.idcare.org.
• MTN and Huawei launch innovation lab
  in Strategy
  By Kenn Anthony Mendoza

  MTN Group and tech giant Huawei have opened an innovation lab at MTN Group’s headquarters.

  Announced at MWC 2024, the lab aims to further deepen collaboration, accelerating digital transformation and sustainable development across Africa.

  The lab will focus on R&D including 5G and 5G-A technologies, artificial intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, FTTH, automation, and digital financial services. It will serve as a hub for experimentation, demonstration, and skill-building.

  It is open to MTNers, partners, and other stakeholders.

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  “The lab will catalyse the growth of the digital economy, fostering innovation and generating long-lasting opportunities to empower communities and advance the continent’s development," said MTN Group president and CEO Ralph Mupita.

  “By working closely, we can leverage each other’s strengths and the collective brilliance of Africa’s innovators to create solutions that will transform lives. This collaborative spirit is what will unlock the true potential of this lab,” said MTN Group chief technology and information officer Mazen Mroué.

  “We believe that the establishment of the innovation lab will accelerate the development of Africa’s digital economy and build a more prosperous and sustainable African continent,” said Huawei president wireless solutions Cao Ming.
• Commpete input to Ministerial Policy Statement—Expiring Spectrum Licences
  in Guest Opinion
  By Commpete

  GUEST OPINION: Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the policy statement on Expiring Spectrum Licences.

  Commpete is an alliance for competition in digital communications representing non-dominant providers. Our members include specialised regional providers, mobile operators, MVNOs, data centre, and fibre owners, and RSPs servicing the 500+ small telco businesses and consumers all over metropolitan and regional Australia.

  Commpete advocates for a competitive and open access regime, providing the ability for new and diverse entrants to enter and thrive in the telecommunications industry for the ultimate benefit of end users.

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  Mobile networks have become the primary provider of consumer telephony and broadband usage on the go and at home. There is an ever-increasing reliance on mobility in all aspects of business and life, however, it is well-documented that there are still large parts of remote, regional, and rural Australia that suffer from inadequate access to what has become an essential service. Some of Commpete’s members have been actively building infrastructure and establishing operations to help reduce the digital divide with a specific focus on regional remote digital connectivity, as well as focussing on bringing innovation to enterprises and campuses through private and public networks in metro areas.

  The legacy approach to spectrum access was via spectrum licences which were auctioned to the highest bidder for very long (+/- 20 year) periods. This approach has resulted in spectrum being held for exclusive use on long-term licences by a small number of national mobile network operators irrespective of whether they used that spectrum or not.

  It is fair to say that the nationally licenced spectrum is only used in one third of Australia’s landmass, with the remaining two thirds lying fallow and not used. This is despite the potential for more targeted and innovative solutions being able to use that spectrum to deliver services to the likes of mining, agriculture and first nations communities, delivering enhanced social and economic benefits in these areas.

  Whilst it is acknowledged that the ACMA has recently issued spectrum via Area Wide Licences (AWLs) in mid and high band frequencies, the same cannot be said for low band spectrum. Low band spectrum is essential for the provision of mobile services and is typically used as a base band layer to provide a comprehensive digital communications service, in conjunction with spectrum in higher bands (i.e. 2GHZ and above). Without access to low band spectrum regional providers are unable to service these communities cost effectively or efficiently, due to the inferior propagation characteristics of higher spectrum bands compared to low band (i.e. < 1GHz). It is therefore essential that spectrum is made available to service these regional and remote areas particularly where it is not being utilised today.

  It is also apparent that national MNO’s are no longer willing to invest in extending their regional coverage without substantial subsidies provided via government programs such as the Mobile Black Spot Program (MBSP) and Regional Connectivity Program (RCP). There is an argument that these funded sites should be made available to all other operators on a commercial basis, which can be tied to the condition of licence access and funding terms.

  There have also been substantial developments in active sharing technologies and neutral host models which further enhances the ability to build out cost effective connectivity whereby MNO’s have the ability to actively share networks, however this development has been stymied by the lack of access to suitable spectrum and willingness of operators to participate.

  The neutral host model strongly advocated by Commpete supports a more affordable model in this regard and it is acknowledged that it is part of government co-funding programs, however, the host needs to be in a position to access the relevant spectrum.

  Commpete believes it is very encouraging to see the Ministerial policy statement on Expiring Spectrum Licences (ESLs) providing scope for:
  • Promoting competition
  • Opportunities for new entrants and use cases, including LEO satellites
  • Capacity for sustained investment and innovation
  • Connectivity and investment in regional areas to deliver improved services to end-users

  Incumbent spectrum licence holders must be able to demonstrate they are using or have demonstrable plans to use the spectrum they have licenced or be subject to ‘Use it or Lose It (UIOLI) and/or “Use it or Share it” (UIOSI) obligations.

  Enhanced competition through a more open approach to accessing a combination of spectrum and Area Wide Licences, as seen in the recent mid and high-band approaches, will support a more dynamic, innovative and competitive communications landscape. This is particularly crucial for regional and remote Australia.

  Commpete is happy to discuss these matters further.