Things to learn and things to abandon: A comparative study of the communications consumer redress scheme in Australia, Japan and Korea
Main Article Content
Keywords
Telecommunications, TIO, consumers, industry consumer redress, consumer dispute resolution
Abstract
Abstract: This article compares the telecommunications consumer dispute resolution scheme in Australia, Japan and Korea based on the telecommunications consumer policy principles developed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in 2011 and the guidelines and recommendations developed by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) in 2013. This articles concludes that the Australian consumer dispute resolution scheme (the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman scheme) appears to be the best practice among these three jurisdictions studied followed by the consumer scheme in Korea. Both the current Japanese scheme and the proposed new scheme in Japan appear to be lesser appropriate due to the foreseeable inadequate accessibility and insufficient consumer redress authority created under the scheme. Nonetheless, much experience and exceptional practices can all be shared and learned by the regulatory decision-makers in all three countries.
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References
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National Consumer Affairs Center. (2014). Information and Communications Technology Report. Retrieved from http://www.soumu.go.jp/main_content/000326524.pdf
Li, G. (2014). A comparative study of the communications consumer dispute resolution schemes in the UK and Australia. Media and Arts Law Review, 19, 151 – 168.
Koo, J. H. (2013). Infrastructure Sharing: Case study in the Republic of Korea’s Context [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from https://academy.itu.int/moodle/pluginfile.php/51373/mod_resource/content/2/infra%20sharing%20%28Rep%20of%20Korea%20case%29%20ITU%20JaHeung%20Koo%20May%202013%20Final.pdf
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Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2007). OECD Recommendation on Consumer Dispute Resolution and Redress. Retrieved from http://www.oecd.org/sti/ieconomy/38960101.pdf
International Telecommunications Union. (2013). Fixed-telephone subscriptions per 100 inhabitants. Retrieved from http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx
International Telecommunications Union. (2013). Mobile –cellular telephone subscriptions. Retrieved from http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx
International Telecommunications Union. (2013). Percentage of Individuals using the Internet. Retrieved from http://www.itu.int/en/ITU-D/Statistics/Pages/stat/default.aspx
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Korea Consumer Agency. (2013). Korea Consumer Agency. Retrieved from http://www.kca.go.kr/index.do
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National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan. (2003). Training, materials, counsellor qualifications. Retrieved from http://www.kokusen.go.jp/category/seminar_shiryou.html
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Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). About us. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/about-us
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). Accessibility. Retrieved from http://www.tio.com.au/accessibility
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). Annual Reports. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/publications/annual-reports
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2014). Company Constitution and Terms of Reference: 2. Complaints we handle. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/about-us/constitution-and-terms-of-reference/2.-complaints-we-handle
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2014). Company Constitution and Terms of Reference: 3. How we handle complaints. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/about-us/constitution-and-terms-of-reference/3.-how-we-handle-complaints
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2014). Company Constitution and Terms of Reference: 4. Other rules about complaints. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/about-us/constitution-and-terms-of-reference/4.-other-rules-about-complaints
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2014). Evidence and Decision Making: 7.0 Fair and Reasonable. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/about-us/policies-and-procedures/evidence-and-decision-making
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). Funding. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/about-us/funding
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). Industry Engagement. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/members/industry-engagement
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). Outreach. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/consumers/outreach
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). Small Businesses. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/consumers/small-businesses
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). Statistics. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/publications/statistics
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). Refusal to join or failure to comply with the TIO Scheme. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/about-us/policies-and-procedures/refusal-to-join-or-failure-to-comply-with-the-tio-scheme
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2014). Standard Resolution Methods and Outcomes: 4.0 Decisions and recommendations. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/about-us/policies-and-procedures/standard-resolution-methods-and-outcomes#Referral
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman. (2015). Who can complain?. Retrieved from https://www.tio.com.au/consumers/who-can-complain
Telecommunications consumer protection, MIC, November 2013, Consumer policy division, telecommunications business department, telecommunications bureau, MIC.
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Published
Jul 1, 2015
Article Details
How to Cite
Li, G. (2015). Things to learn and things to abandon: A comparative study of the communications consumer redress scheme in Australia, Japan and Korea. Journal of Telecommunications and the Digital Economy, 3(2), 47–69. https://doi.org/10.18080/jtde.v3n2.14
Issue
Section
Telecommunications
Copyright Telecommunications Association Inc.
Author Biography
Grace Li, University of Technology Sydney
Dr. Grace Li completed her LLB, LLM and PHD in law. She has also completed a Graduate Certificate in Business Administration (GCBA) and a Graduate Certificate in Higher Teaching and Learning (GCHTL). Dr. Li’s research has been focused on the telecommunications law and policy. She has many publications and she presents regularly at national and international conferences. In addition, Dr. Li also does research in the area of company law and international legal education.
