The new Communications Alliance

The Communications Alliance was officially launched as the new peak body for Australia’s communications industry by Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonanat the SPAN/Comms Day Awards Dinner on Thursday, 31 August.  The popularity of the event reflected the strength of the new organization; a full house attended by a who’s who of the Australian telecommunications industry.

The Communications Alliance was formed to provide a unified voice for the Australian communications industry and to lead it into the next generation of converging networks, technologies and services.  It has brought together a broad cross-section of the industry with a shared vision and a shared commitment to the future.

Industry collaboration and cooperation is key to the growth of the Australian telecommunications industry. Bringing together the members of the Australian Communications Industry Forum (ACIF) and the Service Providers Association Inc (SPAN) gives the industry a more unified voice, and means that together we can be a compelling force to drive positive change.

Jules Rumsey, Managing Director of Telarus has been on the board of SPAN throughout the period of transition, and will now sit on the board of the Communications Alliance.  Comprising a diverse range of representatives from telecommunications carriers, service providers, industry associations, business and consumer users, the new Board will reflect a genuine cross-section of the communications industry.

There will be many advantages to the Communications Alliance:

• Membership fees for one organization instead of two (or more)
• Involvement in a broader range of industry activity from exploration, investigation and discussion of emerging trends
• Ongoing consultative and advocacy work with business and consumer groups
• Discussion and debate of cross-industry regulatory and policy issues
• Increased networking, education and information
• A more powerful voice to initiate positive change in the industry
• A unified voice in the development of the next generation networks framework.

Importantly, however, the new Communications Alliance will retain the strengths of both SPAN and ACIF.   Services such as the ACIF process for the development of industry codes and technical standards (which have regulatory status) and the provision of SPAN's Alternative Dispute Resolution will continue to be key elements of the new Alliance.

In a recent news release John Kranenburg, Communications Alliance co-chair and former chairman of SPAN, said that he believes that the new organization will lift its leadership contribution to a new level in the industry.  At Telarus we agree, and we are looking forward to being part of this new Communications Alliance.