Phreaking Australia, Telecommunications Act
Valiant
Valiant@halcon.com.au
laws, australia, phreaking, freaking, f0ne, fone phreaks, phreaks, phones, phone

Introduction 

What is the Telecommunications Act of 1997, and 
how does it effect us all? Well, this is a basic 
introduction to it, allthough I shan't go into 
gorey details I will outline and define section 
which affect the average user and sections worth 
checking out which help you in understanding the 
legislation behind the shitty telecommunications 
networks we have in Australia. You can find the 
Telecommunications Act of 1997 listed in a table 
of provisions format at http://www.austlii.edu.au/. 


The Telecommunications Act set's up a system for the 
regulation and manipulation of telecommunications in 
Australia. The main entities regulated by the act are 
carriers and service providers. A carrier is the holder 
of a carrier license granted under this Act. ("carrier 
licence" means a licence granted under section 56.) The 
owner of a network unit that is used to supply carriage 
services to the public must hold said license unless 
responsibility for the unit is transfered from the owner 
to a carrier. 


There are four types of network units:- 

- A single line link connecting distinct places in 
Australia, where the line link meets certain 
minimum distance requirements. 


- Multiple line links connecting distinct places in 
Australia, where the line links meet certain minimum 
distance requirements. 


- A designated radiotelecommunications facility. 

- A facility specified in a Ministerial determination. 

Now, the most interesting part which the Telecommunications 
Act of 1997 contains is information in regards to punishable 
crimes and also the back-end information it contains, 
such as the neccesary specifics of some certain idiotic 
loop-holes in banks security, even down to the destructive 
nature of which a specifically placed exchange could bring 
to the entire telecommunications industry. 


Good or bad, this Telecommunications Act provides all the 
neccesary information you could ever want if you are 
interested in networking on the grander scale of 
telecommunications or internetworking. 


Regulatory policy 

The Parliament intends that telecommunications be 
regulated in a manner that: 
	
	(a)  promotes the greatest practicable use of industry self-regulation; and 
	(b)  does not impose undue financial and administrative burdens on 
	      participants in the Australian telecommunications industry; 
	
but does not compromise the effectiveness of regulation 
in achieving the objects mentioned in section 3 of the Act. 


While this Telecommunications Act is part of the public 
domain, not many people are actively aware of it's 
existance, nor of the amusing little con's added into it so 
if the Telecommunications Industry Obudsman or the State or
Federal Police wanted to hassle you about something, such 
as the use of profanity over a telecommunications device 
being an offence, etc. I strongly suggest refering to the 
offence sections of each division. 


Numbering Plan 

The Telecommunications Act of 1997 outlines the Numbering 
Plan, something which is every bored teens bible of boredom 
busting numbers to dial. What am I talking about specifically? 
1800 freecall numbers. I have been searching for a current 
listing of the 1800 numbers to no avail so far, however as 
soon as I get my hands on one (which I will do, as 1800's 
and freecalls are part of the public domain, and therefore 
are to be made freely available to the public under the 
Freedom of Information Act) I shall post it. 


In brief 

There is no real point in me dictating every word down from 
the Act as it is freely available at the URL I included at 
the top of this page. So go there and read your hearts out.