Federal Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has joined his New Zealand counterpart in the release of a draft report that finds telecommunication companies are making ‘excessive profits from trans-Tasman mobile roaming charges.

 

Senator Conroy and New Zealand Minister for Communications and Information Technology, Amy Adams, presided over the joint investigation which provided options for both governments to consider to put downward pressure on mobile prices so that customers who use their mobile phone when travelling between countries will know what it will cost.

 

"The draft report makes it clear that telecommunications companies are stinging consumers on trans-Tasman mobile roaming charges and that their profit margins are excessive," Senator Conroy said.

 

"New Zealanders have started to enjoy lower roaming prices recently, and the draft report shows that the pressure created by our joint investigation has been a key factor in this reduction," Minister Adams said.

 

The draft report provides a number of options to the Australian and New Zealand governments to curb trans-Tasman mobile roaming charges, including:

  • Improving pricing transparency
  • Using legislation to allow roamers to become local end-users, so they are charged local instead of overseas mobile prices
  • Unbundling roaming services so people can use one network for domestic communications and a different network for trans-Tasman roaming
  • Introducing wholesale and retail price caps.

 

The Australian and New Zealand governments are now seeking submissions on the draft report from consumers, the telecommunications industry, and other stakeholders, which will inform the response adopted.

 

The draft report, which was prepared by the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, and New Zealand's Ministry of Business, Employment and Innovation, is available from DBCDE's website at: http://www.dbcde.gov.au/ttmr

 

Submissions are invited on the joint Australia-New Zealand draft report by 27 September 2012.