Location Dependent Carriage Services (LDCS)

Background

A Location Dependent Carriage Service (LDCS) is a carriage service in which calls to businesses which subscribe to these services are automatically routed to the appropriate store or branch location of the business, depending on the location of the caller. In other words, a customer calls a business’ 13 or 1300 number (for example) and is automatically connected to the business’ store or office which is closest to the customer’s home. Services provided using LDCS include pizza delivery services and taxi services.

In order for automatic routing to occur, a routing table is required which situates a phone number within particular geographic boundaries (e.g. postcodes, Census Collection Districts, standard zone units, exchange areas etc.). This routing table could be created using the Integrated Public Number Database (IPND), which is a comprehensive source of customer phone number and address information.

The Carrier Licence Conditions (Telstra Corporation Limited) Declaration 1997 (CLCs) require Telstra to establish and maintain the IPND for use in connection with a range of activities, including provision of LDCS. The CLCs also permit carriers and Carriage Service Providers (CSPs) to access information contained in the IPND for a number of purposes, including LDCS.

However, there may be a need to clarify provision of the Telecommunications Act 1997 (the Act) for the use of IPND information for LDCS. Under the Act, CSPs which provide LDCS are only permitted to access IPND information pertaining to their own current or former customers in order to provide LDCS, not the information of all customers contained in the IPND. This effectively means that it may not be possible under the Telco Act to use IPND information to provide LDCS on a large scale (i.e. to all customers).

The Department considers that it would be desirable to clarify arrangements for using IPND information in connection with the provision of LDCS.

Public consultation

A paper intending to facilitate discussion in relation to clarifying arrangements for the use of IPND information for the provision of LDCS is now available.

Location Dependent Carriage Services (LDCS) (File size: 132Kb)

Submissions to the discussion paper are welcome from all interested parties and are due by COB Tuesday 14 August 2007.

How to make a submission

Submissions must fully identify the names of the parties making the submissions or comments and organisations they represent, if relevant, as well as contact details, including email addresses, if applicable.

Submissions should be forwarded to:

The Manager
IPND, Numbering and ACMA Liaison Section
Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts
GPO Box 2154
CANBERRA ACT 2601

Or lodged electronically at:

LDCS@dcita.gov.au

Queries regarding this consultation should be directed to:

Tracey Smith
Assistant Manager, IPND, Numbering and ACMA Liaison Section
Telephone: (02) 6271 1470

The closing date for comments and submissions is COB Tuesday 14 August 2007.

All submissions and comments, or parts thereof, will be treated as non-confidential information unless specifically requested to be kept confidential and acceptable reasons accompany requests. Note that submissions or comments will generally be subject to freedom of information provisions. Email disclaimers will not be considered sufficient confidentiality requests.

Persons making submissions should be aware that submissions will be made publicly available on the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts website. Those persons who do not wish their submissions to be made public will need to clearly mark their submissions “in confidence”.

However, the Department reserves the right not to publish any submission, or part of a submission, which in the view of the Department contains potentially defamatory material.

• Document ID: 71509 |
• Last modified: 5 February 2008, 10:52am