Thodey calls for united front in telco land

Not a lobby group, just a neutral voice.

Telstra chief David Thodey has called on the telecommunications industry to band together and present a united front for the benefit of all players.

Speaking at the CommsDay Summit, Thodey said that the industry was often "caught up in policy reform", missing an important opportunity to voice input into debates that affected the industry as a whole.

"As a group we need to stand up. We need to stand up and be counted," he said.

"This is really a call for a stronger industry. I don't think this should be led by one group. We just need to try to speak as a more united voice on the issues we face."

Thodey said the finance and mining sectors were good at presenting a united front.

"I'm not saying let's do a lobby group," he said.

"This is an industry leadership issue. We need to stand outside [economic reform processes], determine what we stand for and have a wider impact on the economy."

He noted there were a "number of consumer groups" that spoke for telcos but that there wasn't one single voice.

Thodey used customer service as an example of where a united front might have been able to ward off regulatory intervention - something he described as "shocking".

"I am worried about regulators stepping in to get us [the industry] to deliver good customer service," Thodey said.

"It's not a role for regulators. Customer service is good business practice and [a product of] responsible social governance."