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Well, the big news from the last quarter was the ACMA’s rejection of the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code, after an intensely negative campaign from consumer groups. The revised TCP Code had incorporated a significant number of changes, however the submitted version was deemed insufficient protection, and we now seem to be on a headlong path to direct regulation. Frankly, I have my doubts that the requested changes are what actual consumers genuinely want: how many consumers are keen to undergo a credit check, with all the privacy implications for a debt of a mere $300? How many want to see the inevitable price rises that come with an increase in regulatory compliance? How many want to receive a string of messages regarding their bills?
There is also increased pressure to frame the TCP Code using terms to reflect telecommunications being ‘essential’ when there is presently no agreed – or even proposed – definition of what essential means in the context of telecommunications. Is it truly essential to be able to stream any film to every location you might conceivably be in on every handset you could possibly choose? Or are there more rational measures that properly facilitate emergency communications? Is simply enabling services at a community level via libraries, schools, and other facilities enough? This debate has barely started, let alone concluded who will ultimately pay for it.
In the meantime, we’ve also held our AGM, attended a range of other events, and held our IAASysters program again. I hope you’ve all had a chance to read our annual report and marked all the great achievements of the IAA Team. Once again, I also look forward to catching up with as many of you as possible at the end of year events.
Congratulations are also in order to the winning Directors in the face of such great candidates in the election, and many thanks to those who weren’t successful, but offered their time to the Association. Thank you also to those who participated in the AGM and cast their votes in the election.
Happy peering!
Narelle
Question from the desk
Each newsletter, I will pose a question to Members, because your perspective is important. Please email me with your thoughts and opinions. Over to you:
How do you think we should measure the delivery of internet access if it is declared ‘essential’?
Following this year’s election, we’re pleased to congratulate our newly elected Directors who will help guide IAA’s direction for 2026 and beyond.
Re-elected for a three-year term:
Matthew Enger – Professional Member, CEO of Leaptel
Now heading into his sixth year on the IAA Board, Matthew continues to champion efficiency, transparency, and the voice of smaller providers in an increasingly complex regulatory environment. With extensive experience leading a growing RSP, he brings both technical and commercial insight to ensure IAA remains responsive to Members’ needs and focused on strengthening Australia’s internet infrastructure.
Nathan Brookfield – Professional Member, Managing Director of Managed Networks
Nathan returns to the Board with nearly two decades of industry experience spanning data centre operations, network design, and ISP management. Having first served on the Board back 2015, he remains committed to strong governance, sustainable growth, and advocacy on behalf of Members across the internet and telecommunications sector.
Elected to fill a one-year casual vacancy:
Karla Stokes – Professional Member
Karla joins the Board with over 20 years of leadership experience across technology, infrastructure, and industry advocacy. A long-time supporter of the IAASysters program, she brings deep expertise in registry operations, member engagement, and digital policy development from her time at APNIC and PPCA. Karla’s inclusive leadership and strategic perspective will be a valuable addition to IAA’s ongoing work supporting diversity and innovation across the industry.
Following on from the success of last year’s IAASysters Board Mentorship, we’re pleased to introduce this year’s mentee, Fiona Atkinson. Fiona is a Network Planner at Sony Interactive Entertainment, bringing experience in peering, capacity planning, and network procurement across fibre, internet exchanges, and co-location services. Under the guidance of IAA Board Chair Matthew Enger, she will spend the next year gaining hands-on experience in board governance, strategic decision-making, and leadership within Australia’s internet industry.
We’d also like to thank last year’s mentee, Emma Mondy, for her outstanding contribution to the program and to the Board during her time filling a casual vacancy. Her commitment and insight helped set a strong foundation for future participants.
As we head towards the close of the year, we’d like to take this opportunity to give notice of our holiday shut-down period.
To ensure any new services, moves or changes are processed before the end of the year, please submit them by COB Friday, 12 December 2025.
Any requests received after this date will be actioned after our end-of-year embargo, which runs from COB Friday, 19 December 2025, to Sunday, 4 January 2026. During this period, our team will only be available to assist with urgent support issues.
For further information or queries regarding the network embargo period, please get in touch at support@internet.asn.au.
Wishing you a happy and restful holiday season from the whole IAA Team!
In late September, IAA’s trusty Development Team, Kyle and Cam, embarked on a quest to Canberra for the biggest BSides yet. We’re told it was a packed few days of talks, workshops, and a strong focus on AI and machine learning in security.
One of the most talked-about sessions was Bitsquatting .gov.au Domains by Matthew Belvedere, which explored how random bit-flip errors in DNS traffic (sometimes caused by cosmic rays) can redirect requests to attacker-controlled servers. It definitely got people thinking.
Our Dev Team do love to flip the script. This year’s theme was Dungeons & Dragons, and their CTF team, Illithids Against Adventurers, placed an impressive 42nd out of 395 registered teams, further proving brains beat brawn (this round at least).
With so much happening and so little time to see it all, it seems BSides Canberra 2025 was as intense and inspiring as ever and the team came back buzzing with ideas.
IAA was pleased to sponsor this year’s conference, once again.
It’s been a quiet quarter on the Portal front, but there are still a few changes worth noting.
- Member Resources has had a facelift, and you’ll now find more IAA reports and resources conveniently located within.
- Peering Service Provisioning has been improved with automatic IP address allocation, making setup smoother and faster.
Most of the other updates since August have been behind the scenes, small tweaks and internal improvements to keep things running smoothly.
Check out the refreshed Member Resources section in the Portal and see what’s new.
Our End of Year Events series is about to begin and Perth, you’re up first this week!
We’re wrapping up 2025 with our Tournament of Peers. Held across Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, we’re pitting exchanges head-to-head to see who will be crowned IAA’s bowling champions.
Join us for an evening of tenpin bowling, good food, and great company. Whether you’re in it for the strikes or just here to have a laugh, this event is all about connection and a bit of fun to close out the year.
Each event will feature casual team bowling, local prizes, and scores that feed into a national leaderboard. Bragging rights are on the line for your local IX.
Perth: Wednesday | 5 November 2025 | 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Melbourne: Tuesday | 11 November 2025 | 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Sydney: Wednesday | 19 November 2025 | 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Adelaide: Tuesday | 25 November 2025 | 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Brisbane: Wednesday | 3 December 2025 | 5:30pm – 9:00pm
Don’t miss out! Head to the IAA Portal for more details and to register now!
Tasmania we invite you to join us for the ACS Tasmania End-of-Year celebration on Thursday, 27 November at Wrest Point, which we’re proud to co-host.