Australian Competition and Consumer Commission free essay sample

In Australia, there is an organization that deals with every aspect of the trading industry. It is the Australian Competition and Consumers Commission or ACCC. It is an independent authority of the Commonwealth that controls the Trade Practices Act (TPA) 1974. They are the only group who impose on the said amendment. Their main agenda is to promote competition among different business groups and establish a fair and proper marketing for the benefit of all Australian. Competition is necessary because if this is present, opposing companies will be working hard to make sure that their products or services is better than other. They exist to protect not just the business world, but the consumers as well. They provide helpful information to the customers, for them to be aware of their rights and their responsibilities, especially those in rural areas and indigenous communities. The officers of this body were appointed by the government. We will write a custom essay sample on Australian Competition and Consumer Commission or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This commission has different centers all over the country for an easy access of the public regarding questions and complains. They are independent, but they also collaborate with some agencies of the government, to better serve the country. One example is the Australia Energy Regulator. This is a constituent of the ACCC but they have different entities. Trade Practices Act Their main focus revolves around the TPA. TPA is all about the issue of market: the producers, suppliers, wholesalers, retailers and consumers and their relationship with each other. Aside from that, they also observe the various industry codes such as the product safety; proper labeling including manufacturing and expiration date; the prices, if they meet the standard of the pricing code; and some more industry regulations. Telecommunications The part XIC of the Trade Practices Act 1997 is about the telecommunication industry. They keep an eye on the price of accessing it. It can be in the form of telephone, mobile services and even internet. There are lots of companies that allow you to call your loved ones using the computer and an internet connection, even if they are miles away from you. New innovations for communications are discovered and made and one of these is the Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP. This is a technology that allows the user to conduct an online conversation using the internet, instead of the regular landlines. You can use this to call either a computer or a telephone. This happens because when you speak to the microphone, the VoIP converts the voice into digital signal that goes around the internet. Since this is part of the TPA, the ACCC has a role in the implementation and distribution of this to the whole Australia. VoIP over WLAN (VoWLAN) The ACCC gives emphasis to the quality of service provided by the different companies, especially in the field of communication. Part of their role of ACCC is their management of the online world. They have to check the prices and the people involve in this kind of business. VoIP has been upgraded to become the VoWLAN or VoIP over WLAN. WLAN or Wireless Local Area Network is the connection of different computers without the use of wire. The VoWLAN is basically an extension of VoIP. This works in two ways. First, the VoWLAN service provides transmits the calls from the phone to the WLAN, then to VoIP gateway, just like the regular VoIP, but this time, its wireless network. The other way is through placing a call outside the establishments outside the internet. This means that if you go to an enterprise that has WLAN, then you can make a call using your PDA or laptop, which will cost you nothing. Because of this, they have so much interest with the expansion of communication in the country. They believe the advantage of this innovation over the usual means of communications. They are interested in the fact that when the VoWLAN becomes successful in the market, competition among computing architectures will be greater, and the standard for this kind of industry will be higher. And if the standards are higher, expansion of different business groups will follow, contributing to the growth of market. In business, being able to reach and be reached by your colleagues is very important, and VoWLAN can help, without the hassle of poor reception or monthly charges. In retailing, the employees or the workers can now respond to the inquiries of the customer without the use of telephone, which results to a better trading business. This clearly helps the ACCC in achieving their goal. We are in the modern technology so we should not be surprise to the amazing discoveries and inventions that are made. Let us be open to the new reality. If we open our eyes to all the changes, we might see the things that can help us. REFERENCES ARN (2007). Voice over wireless LAN: Ready or not?[online]. Available from: http://www.arnnet.com.au/index.php/id;1550719237;fp;2;fpid;1531207929 [Accessed 10 August 2007]. Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2005). Available from: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/3744 [Accessed 10 August 2007] Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (2005). Telecommunications access dispute[online]. Available from: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/770411 [Accessed 10 August 2007].