Optus SMS bar systems to go live in October

Optus will implement systems to allow its mobile customers to bar premium SMS and MMS services by mid-October after missing the regulator's July start-date.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) issued a barring determination that required carriers to provide customers with the option to bar premium services from July 1.

The regulator said Optus did not meet the deadline "due to technical issues around the development of its custom barring solution."

Optus informed ACMA that it would not be able to meet the timeline as early as June 7.

While it worked to implement the systems, Optus said it would allow customers to register now for barring to be automatically activated when the new systems went live.

It also agreed to set up a team of staff "with authority to deal with and resolve complaints about premium SMS and MMS" and agreed to "a number of other measures" in an enforceable undertaking [PDF].

However, these measures would remain confidential until October 11 "for sound commercial reasons."