Organisation Profile
Issue No. 21 - February/March 2005
ATUG keeping telcos honest
The Australian Telecommunications Users Group (ATUG) is a consumer watchdog whose goal is to keep the big Telcos honest .
Traditionally made up of larger business interests, ATUG’s composition has become more diverse recently as the wider business community realises the direct impact Information and Communications Technology (ICT) has on their operations.
In South Australia, telecommunications industry veteran Adrian de Brenni has taken on the job of chairman of ATUG’s state committee.
"I joined the ATUG South Australian committee mid 2004 because I was seeing a great need for better information and support in telecommunications," Adrian says.
"There had been quite a slump of activity in the Information and Communications Technology industry for the past few years with the ‘dot com’ crash, but it was clear that the industry was on the rise, and people were seeking more support.
"ATUG is an excellent vehicle to provide this support."
Adrian believes the local ATUG committee members, being a diverse group, offer the experience needed to represent members and guide telecommunications development here.
"The committee has representatives from key areas covering the diverse ATUG membership, including small and medium businesses, corporate enterprises, government, telecommunications consultants and telecommunications companies," he says.
Adrian is confident that growth throughout the Information and Communications Technology industry will continue and needs to be supported.
"We are seeing significant growth in the number of jobs in the industry nationally, with South Australia leading the growth, and there are a number of new technologies that are now proving to have real application for businesses," he says.
"This is why support is required. Customers now have many more decisions to make, such as just what broadband services they must have, will they use their Internet services to ca...
