An AMTA delegation gave evidence to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications this week as part of a parliamentary inquiry into International Mobile Roaming.

By way of background, AMTA notes the scale of international roaming usage, given that Australian Bureau of Statistics information suggests around 5 million Australians travel overseas each year and somewhere between 5 and 25% use international roaming services. This means between 250,000 and 1.25 million of Australia’s 21.26 million mobile subscriptions are used for roaming each year or around 1.2% – 5.8% of subscriptions.

AMTA was the last to present to the Committee in the 6-month inquiry which was responding to a terms of reference seeking information on :

The extent to which retail international mobile roaming charges for both voice and data services reflect the underlying costs to operators of supplying the service.

The adequacy of information available on Australian mobile operators' international mobile roaming costs and revenue in both retail and wholesale markets.

The impact of new and emerging technologies and commercial initiatives that may reduce international mobile roaming charges for users or provide a substitute for international mobile roaming services.

The adequacy of existing information from mobile operators available to consumers concerning international mobile roaming charges for users.

AMTA has made two submissions to the inquiry, which, in summary, outlined the processes of delivering international roaming products, the nature of supporting information provided by the industry and the role of substitutes.

AMTA also called on the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy to clarify the substantial discrepancies between its own consultant’s (KPMG) report on international roaming and the work of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) in 2005 and 2008.

During evidence the ACCC noted the number of complaints it had received on mobile roaming was 15 while the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman had received 228 in 06/07.

AMTA also notes that examples of unexpectedly high bills given to the Committee represent an even smaller proportion of complaints, nevertheless, industry was working hard to minimise these outcomes as it was in nobody’s interest to have consumers getting into trouble with their bills as a result of roaming usage or any other use for that matter.