A newly registered industry Code is expected to improve the accuracy of the public number customer database that is relied on by emergency services to help Australians in danger or distress.
A revised version of the Industry Code C555:2017 - Integrated Public Number Database (IPND) - and its associated Guideline G619:2017 IPND Data, has now been registered by the industry regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The IPND is an industry-wide database of all Public Number Customer Data (PNCD) which broadly includes the number, the customer name, service address and directory related services’ information which can be used - for example - to assist in the provision of emergency services and law enforcement.
{loadposition peter}This most recent version of the Code delivers on specific recommendations that came out of the 2015 IPND Review by the Department of Communications and the Arts, with changes to the Code including:
- Stronger industry practices to support IPND Data Providers use of validation practices to improve data quality
- Development of guidance for Data Providers to implement processes that allow subscribers to easily view and correct their IPND records
- Establishment of awareness raising measures to highlight to subscribers the importance and need for providing correct information to their Carriage Service Provider, in order to ensure the IPND record is accurate.
Communications Alliance welcomed the registration of the IPND Code, which has been produced as part of a collaboration between CA, industry, the ACMA and The Department of Communications and the Arts.
CA says the IPND itself is a very important and useful database for emergency services and law enforcement, and the more accurate the data, the better equipped emergency service personnel can be to assist in times of need.
With the revised IPND carriage service providers will now have a period of 6 months to implement the new processes included in the Code.
CA says it is hoped that more customers will begin to become aware of, and understand the importance of keeping their provider up to date with their latest contact details.