Monday, June 14, 2021

Weekly Australian Health IT Links – 14 June, 2021.

Here are a few I have come across the last week or so. Note: Each link is followed by a title and a few paragraphs. For the full article click on the link above title of the article. Note also that full access to some links may require site registration or subscription payment.

General Comment

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A pretty routine week with the usual run of data breaches and revelations about Governments treating you health data like it was theirs to use and worse still scatter to the four winds!

All in all no surprises I guess!

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https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/privacy-experts-alarmed-medical-data-is-collected-without-consent/news-story/7e2d7e8a224bdf3fe02f45e6bd8ec8a8

Privacy experts alarmed medical data is collected without consent

The health secrets of millions of Australians have been extracted from GP computers in a data grab without permission. See what it means for you.

Sue Dunlevy

June 11, 2021 - 8:24AM

News Corp Australia Network

Exclusive: The individual health records of almost 25 million Australians have been scraped from medical clinics under a secret data grab that has alarmed privacy experts.

The move has laid bare information on patients’ mental health, alcohol consumption, weight, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV.

In most cases the material is being collected by data firms without explicit patient consent and patients have not been given the opportunity to opt out.

The Australian Privacy Foundation said if the records were to fall into the wrong hands they could be used to blackmail powerful people, track down a domestic violence victim or by employers to vet job applicants.

They could also be used against a person with mental health problems in a custody battle.

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https://www.zdnet.com/article/covid-19-vaccine-digital-certificate-coming-this-week-for-australians/

COVID-19 vaccine digital certificate coming this week for Australians

Those with an Australian Medicare number can already view their vaccination history, but once two doses of a COVID-19 jab have been received, individuals will be able to retrieve a certificate.

By Asha Barbaschow | June 7, 2021 -- 03:09 GMT (13:09 AEST) | Topic: Innovation

From July, all national vaccination program providers will be required to report, where practicable, within 24 hours and no later than 10 days when a vaccination has been given to an individual in Australia.

The database, the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR), is maintained by Services Australia on behalf of the Department of Health.

Providers can upload the vaccination information via an online portal, either directly or through software they use at their practice that is integrated into the AIR. It uses an individual's Medicare number for identification and linking.

There are no penalties for failure to upload the information.

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https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/gp-launches-petition-against-unfair-mbs-changes-to

GP launches petition against ‘unfair’ MBS changes to telehealth

Dr Todd Cameron is adamant mandating use of video technology for consults longer than 20 minutes will create a barrier for patients with chronic and complex health needs.

Anastasia Tsirtsakis


08 Jun 2021

It has been a challenging 15 months since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, but through the trying circumstances the expansion of telehealth has been lauded as a big win.
 
But as of 30 June, the current telehealth model is set to change.

 
To receive Level C and D rebates from the Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) a telephone will no longer be adequate, requiring GPs and patients to have access to video technology.
 
The incoming changes have raised significant concern among some GPs, including Dr Todd Cameron, who fears the policy unfairly targets patients who are already disadvantaged. And if they go ahead, he predicts telehealth use will markedly decline, worsening access to care as a result.
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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/nz-to-be-latest-country-to-outpace-australia-in-digital-health/46973

7 June 2021

NZ to be latest country to outpace Australia in digital health

Technology Telehealth

By Holly Payne

Despite a pandemic-driven boost in telehealth services, Australia continues to lag behind its peers in terms of digital health, with New Zealand unveiling an ambitious plan to centralise health services.

New Zealand’s Health Minister Andrew Little announced the changes last month, saying the current system was “overly complex” and forced artificial barriers between regions, professionals and populations.

“What it doesn’t do is allow us to focus on the needs of the New Zealand population and the system as a whole, or to identify and spread good ideas,” Mr Little said.

The overhaul would touch on four key aspects:

  • revising the scope and duties of the Ministry of Health,
  • decommissioning all 20 district health boards and replacing them with a national organisation, Health New Zealand,
  • establishing a M?ori health authority, and
  • creating a public health agency.

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https://www.healthcareit.com.au/article/data-dashboards-aid-australian-department-health-covid-19-related-decision-making

Data dashboards aid Australian Department of Health in COVID-19 related decision making

Thiru Gunasegaran | 11 Jun 2021

In a statement yesterday, SaaS provider Qlik shared how the Australian Department of Health was able to make public health decisions through data.

WHY IT MATTERS

When the pandemic outbreak first happened in early 2020, the DOH needed a solution that could support the National Incident Room to provide "curated data on a daily basis so as to keep the Australian public informed on the unfolding COVID-19 situation". According to Qlik, the technology company offered end-to-end solutions for the DOH, enabling it to join "many disparate datasets quickly and produce a wide range of reporting formats".

Some of the areas that the solution helped in include the following:

- Public announcements: Initially, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dr Nick Coatsworth had to deliver twice weekly updates via social media. With Qlik's reporting solution, the DOH was able to "supply accurate data and a flexible solution for every instance".
- Pandemic Incident Management: A user-centric dashboard enabled the DOH's internal pandemic management team to monitor and respond quickly to information on the DOH's own workforce volumes, IT capacity, and staff movement to identify and manage employees working remotely or onsite.
- Impact Assessment: By integrating data from sources such as the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods and hospital data from the Critical Health Resource Information System, the DOH was able to provide a view of national availability for medical devices such as ventilators and PPE, as well as measure hospital capacity.
- Vulnerability Assessment: A separate Qlik app integrated data sets from 18 different vulnerable cohorts such as those with chronic disease, disability, or those in remote areas. The dashboard enabled the DOH's Data and Analytics Branch to spot trends in the data sets according to age, gender and geography to identify areas and people that were most at risk and to aid decision making.

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https://www.hospitalhealth.com.au/content/aged-allied-health/news/mood-tracking-app-empowers-expectant-and-new-mums-to-manage-mental-wellbeing-804054966

Mood-tracking app empowers expectant and new mums to manage mental wellbeing

Thursday, 10 June, 2021

An evidence-based app — YourTime — has been developed by the University of South Australia and parent support group Village Foundation to help women track their mental wellbeing during pregnancy and early motherhood. The app responds to priorities in perinatal (the period from the conception of a child through to the first year after birth) mental health by providing a digitalised tool that enables women to self-monitor and track their mood during pregnancy and early mothering, helping them to recognise early signs of deteriorating mental wellbeing or conversely to acknowledge they’re doing well.

Having a baby can be an exciting and rewarding experience, but for a new mum it can also be exhausting and challenging. In Australia, up to one in five expectant or new mothers will experience perinatal anxiety or depression, with the illness affecting about 100,000 families each year.

UniSA’s Associate Professor Lois McKellar, lead researcher and midwife, said the new app will provide immediate support for women who may be struggling with low mood, or beginning to experience anxiety and depression.

“It’s natural for women to worry about the impending arrival of a new baby — they’re bringing a new life into the world, and they’re unsure about the changes that this little baby will bring,” Associate Professor McKellar said.

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https://www1.racgp.org.au/newsgp/professional/clarity-on-covid-immunisation-status-on-my-health

Clarity on COVID immunisation status on My Health Record

The ADHA has issued new guidance to ensure patient records are correctly linking with up-to-date immunisation data.

Morgan Liotta

10 Jun 2021

Recent upgrades to My Health Record (MHR) include a new consolidated view of immunisation details from the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) and the individual’s record, making it easier for healthcare providers to view their patients’ information.
 
To support the Australian Government’s COVID-19 vaccination rollout, data from all states and territories is now flowing into MHR. Healthcare providers can access this data through their clinician information system or National Provider Portal.
 
The vaccination data will appear on the MHR as soon as it is reported to the AIR. Mandatory reporting
legislated in March means registered vaccination providers are required to report the administration of COVID-19 and influenza vaccinations to the AIR.
 
To avoid any confusion and ensure patients’ Medicare information settings are correct to have the up-to-date AIR data displaying in their MHR, the Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) has issued the following guidelines:
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https://medicalrepublic.com.au/amazon-bins-pharmacy-aspirations/47075

8 June 2021

Amazon bins pharmacy aspirations

Pharmacy Technology

By Holly Payne

The plans to bring Amazon’s online pharmacy operations Down Under appear to have stalled – at least for now.

In January last year, the online retail giant submitted a trademark application with IP Australia for the rights to “Amazon Pharmacy” that was accepted in March 2020.

The application was quietly withdrawn late last week.  

Although the politically powerful Pharmacy Guild of Australia has not yet issued a formal statement on the matter, it did launch an opposition to the registration in May last year.

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https://www.innovationaus.com/accenture-lands-7m-govt-deal-for-vaccine-data-work/

Accenture lands $7M govt deal for vaccine data work

Denham Sadler
Senior Reporter

11 June 2021

The federal government will pay Accenture a further $7 million to make “modest enhancements” to its vaccine ordering system, after the global consulting giant was paid $8 million to deliver a Covid-19 vaccine data solution.

Late last year Health minister Greg Hunt announced that Accenture had been contracted to be the federal government’s digital and data lead for the vaccine rollout. This work was worth $7.8 million and involved the Ireland-domiciled firm developing a software solution to track the vaccine from arrival to injection.

The solution is meant to offer “point in time” visibility of the vaccine doses across the entire supply chain, including receipt of the vaccine by health services, the vaccination of patients and the monitoring of any adverse reactions.

The Health department said this solution was delivered in February this year.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nsw-health-admits-personal-data-accessed-in-accellion-breach-565551

NSW Health admits personal data accessed in Accellion breach

By Ry Crozier on Jun 7, 2021 9:02AM

Says some “health-related personal information ... included in the attack."

NSW Health has warned that “health-related personal information” and “identity information” is among the data accessed by attackers involved in the compromise of Accellion file transfer software.

The agency said in a statement late Friday that it had started “notifying people whose data may have been accessed in the global Accellion cyber attack.”

“Medical records in public hospitals were not affected and the software involved is no longer in use by NSW Health,” NSW Health said.

“Different types of information, including identity information and in some cases, health-related personal information, were included in the attack.

“NSW Health has been working with NSW Police and Cyber Security NSW and to date, there is no evidence any of the information has been misused.”

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https://www.news.com.au/technology/online/hacking/sensitive-nsw-documents-posted-on-dark-web-after-accellion-hack/news-story/41a9583257bace94095f7ae7ee749139

Sensitive NSW documents posted on dark web after Accellion hack

Sensitive documents have been posted on the dark web after two NSW government ministries were hacked in a major security breach.

Anton Nilsson

NCA NewsWire

March 24, 20216:51am

Massive amounts of sensitive NSW government documents have been published online by hackers attempting to extort the authorities for cash.

The sporadic leaks to the dark web have continued in the past few days and it’s understood the files totalled some 250 gigabytes as of Wednesday.

And as the scale of the hack, which occured in December 2020, becomes clearer, questions are emerging about whether a NSW ministry failed to immediately alert the state’s cyber investigations team about what had happened.

NSW Police said in a statement its joint investigation with Cyber Security NSW, dubbed Strike Force Martine, didn’t begin until February, at least six weeks after the US company Accellion said it first communicated to customers in relation to the hack which impacted NSW Health and Transport for NSW among dozens of global victims.

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https://www.afr.com/technology/medical-information-leaked-in-nsw-health-hack-20210608-p57z7k

Medical information leaked in NSW Health hack

Max Mason Senior reporter

Jun 8, 2021 – 4.45pm

A special NSW Police and Cyber Security NSW strike force has found people’s personal health-related information was stolen from NSW Health following a security breach this year.

In January, The Australian Financial Review revealed the NSW government’s cyber security agency was investigating whether the state’s health department had been part of a series of high-profile attacks using the Accellion file transfer software.

“It is estimated that some 100 organisations around the world, including global corporations, financial institutions, government departments, hospitals and universities, were among those affected by the breach,” NSW Health said in a statement.

“Medical records in public hospitals were not affected and the software involved is no longer in use by NSW Health. Different types of information, including identity information and, in some cases, health-related personal information, were included in the attack.”

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https://www.securityweek.com/attacks-targeting-accellion-product-linked-fin11-cybercrime-group

Attacks Targeting Accellion Product Linked to FIN11 Cybercrime Group

By Ionut Arghire on February 22, 2021

The hacking group behind the recent cyber-attack targeting Accellion’s FTA file transfer service appears to be linked to a threat actor known as FIN11, security researchers with FireEye’s Mandiant division reveal.

The attacks on FTA, a soon-to-be-retired service, started in mid-December 2020 and resulted in the compromise of data pertaining to multiple Accellion customers. As part of the attack, the adversaries targeted multiple vulnerabilities in the file transfer service.

Some of the affected Accellion customers include grocery and pharmacy chain Kroger, Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), U.S.-based law firm Jones Day, the Office of the Washington State Auditor (SAO), the Reserve Bank of New Zealand, and Singapore telecoms firm Singtel.

The attackers abused multiple vulnerabilities in FTA to gain access to and exfiltrate data, namely CVE-2021-27101 (SQL injection), CVE-2021-27102 (OS command execution), CVE-2021-27103 (SSRF), and CVE-2021-27104 (OS command execution).

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https://www.healthcareit.com.au/article/australia-launches-covid-19-vaccination-reporting-tool-aged-care-providers

Australia launches COVID-19 vaccination reporting tool for aged care providers

Adam Ang | 09 Jun 2021

Australia's Department of Health has recently introduced a reporting tool on the My Aged Care portal where aged care service providers can report the COVID-19 vaccination status of their workforce.

Through the portal, approved providers can record de-identified data on the total number of workers at each aged care service; the number of workers who received their first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine; as well as those who are fully vaccinated.

From 15 June, the weekly reporting of workforce vaccination status will be mandatory for all approved providers of residential aged care services. For those providers of in-home and community aged care services, the weekly reporting will become compulsory in the "coming weeks."

WHY IT MATTERS

The Health Department last week said in its newsletter that the collection and reporting of the vaccination status of aged cared workers is "an important measure to provide greater health security for aged care residents and people receiving aged care services in the community."

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https://www.healthcareit.com.au/article/new-study-investigates-use-cctv-patient-care-old-age-homes

New study investigates use of CCTV for patient care in old age homes

Thiru Gunasegaran | 07 Jun 2021

Edith Cowan University has embarked on a study to assess views and attitudes toward using closed-circuit television to improve patient safety in aged care homes.

WHY IT MATTERS

In a previous pilot study by ECU, it was found that 57% of family members would like for CCTV systems to be used within public spaces. The study was conducted at a Perth aged care facility, of which only 38% of residents said the same.

ECU hopes that its new study will build on its previous pilot study to guide the potential use of CCTV within residential aged care facilities.

This comes after evidence provided to the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety identified that some families installed hidden security cameras in loved ones' rooms out of concern, according to lead researcher Dr Caroline Vafeas.

The project is titled ‘CCTV use in Residential Aged Care Facilities in Australia: The viewpoint of residents’ family and facility staff’.

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https://www.healthcareit.com.au/article/clinic-cloud-future-proofs-claiming-solution

Clinic to Cloud future-proofs claiming solution

Thiru Gunasegaran | 07 Jun 2021

Clinical and practice management software provider Clinic to Cloud has adapted to Medicare’s new web services platform for claiming.

WHY IT MATTERS
Services Australia, the government body that delivers government payments and services for Australia, recently announced changes that affect all software providers. All software providers will have to be web services ready by 13 March 2022.

Web services is an internet technology developed to allow healthcare practitioners to share data with Services Australia securely. According to Clinic to Cloud, many software providers maintain their use of adaptor technology, which will no longer be compatible from 13 March 2022.

Existing Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) will soon be replaced with Provider Digital Access (PRODA), Services Australia’s own authentication system. PRODA is intended to heighten security by verifying an individual’s identity and organisation against the Australian Business Register.

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https://www.seek.com.au/job/52254818?type=standard

APS6 Clinical Safety Lead - Sydney / Brisbane / Canberra

Randstad - Healthcare

Sydney

Healthcare & Medical Management

$54.85 - $61.87 p.h. + + super Contract/Temp

CLINICAL SAFETY LEAD - Australian Digital Health Agency - Sydney/Brisbane/Canberra

Australian Digital Health Agency (ADHA) is responsible for national digital health services and systems, with a focus on engagement, innovation, clinical quality, and safety. Their focus is on putting data and technology safely to work for patients, consumers, and the healthcare professionals who look after them.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

This role is responsible for managing the clinical safety of Agency products such as My Health Record and specifications such as Electronic Prescribing.

The Clinical Safety Lead works collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders and assists with identifying and managing clinical hazards and risks inherent to digital health products and services. Duties include:

  • Contributing to the design and development of Agency products
  • Conducting systems safety analysis through design, development, testing, implementation, and changes throughout the product lifecycle
  • Addressing clinical risks & providing clinical safety advice on issues impacting National digital infrastructure
  • Contributing to ongoing reviews of the clinical safety management approach
  • Educating & managing stakeholders to support awareness of clinical governance principles in order to achieve clinical safety management
  • Producing high-quality clinical safety reports

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https://developer.digitalhealth.gov.au/resources/news/esignature-v11-released

eSignature v1.1 Released

The Australian Digital Health Agency has released version 1.1 of the eSignature end product.

This release of the eSignature end product includes summary guidance to the requirements for electronic signatures on low risk clinical communications including referrals and requests for Medicare-funded services.

For a more detailed description of the changes, please refer to the Release Note.

Who does this affect?

  • Developers and implementers of clinical information systems
  • Developers and implementers of secure messaging systems

More information

eSignature v1.1 is available for download from the Developer Centre:

Feedback and questions

We value your feedback and encourage questions, comments or suggestions about our products. Please email help@digitalhealth.gov.au or call 1300 901 001.

Date:  Friday, May 14, 2021

Topic:  Identification & Authentication

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https://www.healthcareit.com.au/article/medicaldirector-launches-cybersecurity-solution-healthcare-systems

MedicalDirector launches cybersecurity solution for healthcare systems

Adam Ang | 08 Jun 2021

Australian software company MedicalDirector has introduced its latest cybersecurity solution for healthcare systems.

WHAT IT DOES

According to a press release, the MedicalDirector Shield has six key components to protect a healthcare practice's IT systems and data.

It provides an initial security assessment to spot a system's vulnerabilities to online hacks; a plug-in intrusion detection device that blocks potential attacks; and 24/7 monitoring by a cybersecurity operations centre.

It also releases monthly incident reports which include advanced insights on cyber incidents and network weaknesses; conducts online cybersecurity training for care teams to identify and understand the vulnerabilities in their practice, helping reduce the likelihood of unintentional data breaches; and offers guides for staff to handle cybersecurity events.

WHY IT MATTERS

In a statement, Louise Ryves, ecosystem general manager at MedicalDirector, said the company has offered its newest solution at a time when cyberattacks are becoming "more sophisticated and more frequent".

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-says-5g-competition-is-challenging-its-monopoly-status-565686

NBN Co says 5G competition is challenging its monopoly status

By Ry Crozier on Jun 10, 2021 12:56PM

May try to get that reflected in its regulated operating rules.

NBN Co may seek changes to regulatory rules affecting its operations on the basis - or belief - that it can no longer be considered as “a monopoly provider of broadband services” in many market segments.

The network operator flagged in a discussion paper earlier this week that it is undecided on whether to pursue core changes to the special access undertaking (SAU) that sets price and non-price terms for NBN Co’s operations until 2040.

The company has previously been unsuccessful at amending the terms of the SAU.

However, a revision is now back on the table, primarily to address pricing model issues, and that means NBN Co will submit an amended SAU to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) before the end of the year.

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https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/financial-services/national-australia-bank-cant-relax-over-austrac-crackdown-just-yet/news-story/9c004ae97ef69833cf5347474be2537d

Off the dial: Telstra, NBN begin new revenue negotiations

John Durie

Over the past seven years Telstra has collected $10bn in taxpayer compensation for the transfer of its copper customers to the NBN and over the next 40 years it will collect $1bn a year in duct rentals.

The two payments were negotiated in the run-up to the creation of the NBN in 2009, based on Telstra’s estimates of what fair compensation would look like.

These factors are somewhat overlooked in the spin from the Telstra camp to explain its less than stellar returns in recent years, blamed in part on the loss of the monopoly rent on the copper wire.

The next round of negotiations between NBN and the industry commenced on Monday with the release of NBN’s latest “offer”, which will be debated and finally approved by the ACCC.

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https://www.itwire.com/telecoms-and-nbn/nbn-special-access-undertaking-variation-discussion-paper.html

Tuesday, 08 June 2021 05:46

NBN Special Access Undertaking Variation Discussion Paper

By Chris Coughlan

NBN Co has realised a discussion paper to industry on proposed changes to the Special Access Undertaking (SAU) lodged with the ACCC. The SAU sets out the framework that governs the terms on which the company supplies services to the industry. The proposed variation includes options to change to pricing with only the Access Virtual Circuit (AVC)component, dropping the contraversial Connectivity Virtual Circuit (CVC) component. It also adds all the current Governments Multi-Technology Mix access technologies, such as Fibre-to-the-Building, Node, Curb (FTTB, FTTN, FTTC) and Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC).

NBN Co released its Special Access Undertaking (SAU) Variation 2021 Discussion Paper to commence its engagement with industry and consumer advocacy groups on key changes to the SAU it proposes to submit to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) later this year.

The proposed changes in the Discussion Paper include updating the SAU to expand its scope to cover the network technologies not launched when the SAU was accepted in 2013, as well as specifying options to evolve wholesale broadband pricing for the future to address feedback from the industry.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-cos-cvc-less-pricing-leaves-rsps-with-much-to-digest-565601

NBN Co's CVC-less pricing leaves RSPs with much to digest

By Ry Crozier on Jun 7, 2021 4:54PM

Telstra, Optus, TPG, Vocus and Aussie Broadband weigh in.

Telstra, Optus, TPG and Aussie Broadband expressed cautious optimism after the release of a flat-pricing model by NBN Co on Monday.

For more than a year, RSPs have asked NBN Co to simplify its wholesale pricing and to scrap a variable bandwidth charge called the connectivity virtual circuit (CVC).

NBN Co offered one potential AVC-only model and one halfway model on Monday, but both would mean immediate price hikes of between $5 and $20 a month, and then an “indexed” increase above the inflation rate every year after.

The level of the yearly increase could not be quantified, and there are indications already that could be an early sticking point as RSPs prepare to meet with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) and NBN Co next week to discuss the proposal.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-offers-to-axe-cvc-in-exchange-for-yearly-price-hikes-565579

NBN Co offers to axe CVC in exchange for yearly price hikes

By Ry Crozier on Jun 7, 2021 12:51PM

Finally tables a 'flat-price' model.

NBN Co has finally revealed how it might implement ‘flat’ wholesale prices, but it would involve a $5 to $20 a month hike, and as-yet unquantifiable yearly increases above the rate of inflation.

The company on Monday morning opened a “pre-lodgement” consultation with retail service providers, canvassing views on effectively two flat-price models.

The models axe the variable connectivity virtual circuit (CVC) charge, either for 100Mbps and above products, or for all products.

But analysis by iTnews shows they are subject to a complex mix of assumptions and cost-recovery models - and not even NBN Co executives would put a number range on what they might mean for retail prices in the long-term.

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https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/nbn-co-may-have-to-pay-telcos-millions-for-scheduling-blunder-20210603-p57xov.html

NBN Co may have to pay telcos millions for scheduling blunder

By Zoe Samios

June 7, 2021 — 5.00am

NBN Co may be required to pay Australian telcos millions of dollars because of ongoing technological failures that are preventing customers from being able to join the national broadband network.

The national broadband network plans to reimburse telcos for fines they receive from the telecommunications ombudsman well as rebates for failure to complete orders after more than 20,000 orders were affected by the failure of a new scheduling system that plans connection and other service appointments.

Optus’ vice president of regulatory and public affairs, Andrew Sheridan, said the NBN needed to take responsibility for their issues and resolve them.

“They are weighing the entire industry down, and we are wearing the costs – which already run into the millions of dollars and counting – and reputational impacts,” Mr Sheridan said.

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https://www.itnews.com.au/news/nbn-co-looks-to-enforce-fair-use-for-fixed-line-users-565550

NBN Co looks to enforce 'fair use' for fixed-line users

By Ry Crozier on Jun 7, 2021 7:08AM

Exclusive: Will clearly define what you can do to get booted off the network.

NBN Co will soon more clearly define what is “inappropriate or excessive” use on its fixed-line network - and what actions can be taken in response - almost a year after one ‘extreme’ user racked up 34TB of downloads in a matter of days.

The now-infamous 34TB downloader set up a script to download the same test file over and over, and was ultimately cut off by their retail service provider (RSP), Aussie Broadband under fair use.

While NBN Co has had fair use policies for several years, the wording of them keeps changing and they have been largely unenforced, except for satellite users.

But in recent times, the company has started enforcing fair use on the fixed wireless network, and it now appears enforcement could soon move to the fixed-line network as well - or, at least, much tighter rules be drawn up that makes it clearer when a line is or isn’t crossed.

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https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/largest-dinosaur-discovered-in-australia-a-true-world-heavyweight-20210607-p57yp1.html

Largest dinosaur discovered in Australia a true world heavyweight

By Stuart Layt

June 7, 2021 — 9.00pm

Talking points

  • Australotitan cooperensis was up to 30 metres long and over 6 metres high at the hip.
  • First uncovered in 2007, it has taken this long to classify and confirm as a separate species.
  • Researchers used cutting-edge 3D modelling to digitally compare and reconsctruct the fossils.
  • Australotitan is closely related to other sauropod species found in other parts of Queensland - Wintonotitan, Diamantinasaurus and Savannasaurus.
  • The Eromanga Natural History Museum has set up a special wing just to showcase the find.

Palaeontologists have uncovered the largest dinosaur found in Australia, a long-necked colossus that gives other huge dinosaurs from around the world a run in the heavyweight stakes.

The giant sauropod, now officially named Australotitan cooperensis in a new scientific paper, grew up to 30 metres long and up to six metres high at the hip, making it as long as a basketball court and two storeys tall.

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Enjoy!

David.

 

1 comment:

  1. GP launches petition against ‘unfair’ MBS changes to telehealth - there is also an online petition. What the government is telling its citizens is - your underlying health condition is that you are poor.

    On another note - ADHA no longer posts it positions vacant on its website, there are a number of roles on seek but not on the ADHA site. Good job they are not responsible for information management and record keeping.

    ReplyDelete