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9. Technical standards
9.1 Governing principles
9.2 How standards will be made and varied
9.3 What standards will contain
Notes on what this heading covers. What kinds of standards should required for a modern communications economy? Three examples out of many of possible areas include: cabling inside premises, interoperability of networks, and reception equipment for broadcasting. How universal should standards be, and should they be voluntary or mandatory? How should international standards be taken into account?
9.1 Governing principles
9.2 How standards will be made and varied
• Specialist technical standards advisory structure
Source: Broadcast Australia
In the context of current law, Broadcast Australia (BA) a major transmission provider, recommended a specialist committee on digital TV standards development and maintenance, which using reasoning which would apply to other areas of future standards:
..BA believes that ACMA should establish a Technical Standards Advisory Committee to oversight digital terrestrial television standards development and ensure that they are meeting the needs of industry and the community. This Committee, fully representative of industry interests and with a public interest overlay, could nominate to ACMA new areas requiring the making of technical standards or existing standards requiring amendment and review and recommend new standards for determination as an ACMA Technical Standard. In instances where ACMA is persuaded that a standard should be formulated, it could instigate its own formal standard-making processes or request SA action.
. . .
…BA opposes the use of Free TV Australia (FTVA) Operating Procedures (OPs) as de facto standards or references to them in Australian Standards given that their development has been undertaken ‘in house’ to match the requirements of the incumbent free to air broadcasters and not based on industry-wide consensus or protect the interests of potential new entrants. We also oppose any intention by ACMA to incorporate them ‘uncritically’ into its Technical Standards or ‘call them up’ in any regulated standard. It is our view that ACMA should undergo a review (including expert consultation) of the FTVA Ops to determine which can be ‘carried-over’ and which will require re-drafting or updating by ACMA to ensure that the ‘public interest is being met.
[Ref: Broadcast Australia, 2008, Response to the ACMA Public Discussion Paper on DTV Codes and Standards, viewed 25 July 2008, http://www.acma.gov.au/webwr/_assets/main/lib310550/broadcast_australia.pdf]
9.3 What standards will contain
• Parental lock-out system become an industry standard for digital TV sets
Source: Senate Standing Committee
A recent Senate Committee report into the effectiveness of the broadcasting codes of practice recommended:
‘the provision of parental lock-out become and industry standard for digital televisions sold in Australia. The Committee also recommends that the feasibility of using datacasting to provide a more details description of program content and the reasons for a program’s rating which could be accessed by the viewer’.
The Senate Committee conducted the review due to concerns raised about the amount of course and obscene language on television.
[Ref: The Senate Standing Committee on Environment, Communications and the Arts, 2008, Report into the effectiveness of the broadcasting codes of practice, viewed 25 July 2008, http://www.aph.gov.au/senate/committee/eca_ctte/broadcasting_codes/report/report.pdf]
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