II.4.2 Interest groups
Employees' Association [Kammer für Arbeiter und Angestellte (AK)]
The Employees' Associations existing in the individual provinces are decentralised public corporations established by law which, according to their mandate, attend to the interests of the employees. In addition to a number of major functions, the AK is closely involved in consumer protection and consumer consultancy.
In the field of settlement of disputes of end-users by TKC, relevant information exchange takes place between the Associations' consumer protection representatives and the members of TKC responsible for the settlement of disputes. In addition, the AK contributed to preparing the guidelines for settlement of disputes between end-users by TKC in the course of the public consultation held for this purpose.
Austrian Federal Economic Chamber [Wirtschaftskammer Österreich (WKÖ)]
As decentralised public corporation the Economic Chamber is responsible for representing the interests of Austrian commerce and industry, as laid down in the Economic Chamber Act. A central concern of the Economic Chamber is the positioning of Austria as economic quality centre in Europe. In addition to representing the interests of its members, the functions of the Economic Chamber comprise basic and advanced training, legal service for members, business administration and encouragement of economic development, foreign trade and state control. Because of the liberalisation of the telecommunications markets it was necessary to place the Austrian Economic Chamber on a broader institutional basis to be able to safeguard the interests of this branch of industry now subject to competition.
Therefore, the Trade Association of Telecommunications and Broadcasting Enterprises was established in the Federal Section for Transport, Traffic, Telecommunications. In the transport policy department the role of telecommunications is gaining importance. Common ground with telecom regulation results in particular from planned amendments to telecommunications laws and public consultations, to which the Economic Chamber makes contributions time and again. The web site of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber has the following address: http://www.wko.at/.
Federation of Austrian Industry (IV)
The Federation of Austrian Industry considers itself a future-oriented lobbying organisation on a voluntary basis with clear member orientation. The personal members have business responsibility in IV member companies, i.e. Austrian industrial companies or enterprises that are closely associated with industrial companies in Austria through value chains. The IV's main areas of functions are directed at strengthening the competitiveness of Austria as an economic site. The IV is involved in relevant legislative measures, provides service offers for its members as well as information to the public at large. The IV is in close contact with Telekom-Control as regulatory authority in a key infrastructure area of the Austrian economy by means of (public) events and public consultations initiated by TKC. Extensive information on the Federation of Austrian Industry is available at http://www.iv-net.at/.
Consumers' Association [Verein für Konsumenteninformation (VKI)]
The Consumers' Association is a non-profit organisation for Austrian consumers, representing consumer interests only. It is financed along "social partnership" structures. Apart from providing consulting services to consumers, the Consumers' Association litigates test cases and is anxious to raise the degree of information of consumers in Austria by means of corresponding publications available partly against payment.
Extensive information on the VKI is offered in the World Wide Web at www.konsument.at. Within the scope of TKC's functions as arbitration body for end-users, TKC has extensive relations with the VKI: not only is there permanent information exchange on tendencies in the field of VKI end-user consultancy and the settlement of disputes by TKC but also new (potential) dangers in dealing with the new media are pointed out. Apart from these relations which are important for everyday business, the VKI took part in the public consultation for the preparation of TKC guidelines on the settlement of end-user disputes.
Association of Alternative Telecom Network Operators [Verband Alternativer Telekom-Netzbetreiber (VAT)]
The Association of Alternative Telecom Network Operators was founded as a private law interest group in summer 1997 to provide the best possible support to the alternative operators active on the Austrian market. Full liberalisation per 01.01.1998 gave rise, to a particularly high extent, to the increasing need of the new entrants to the telecommunications market to pool their interests in order to be able to express and push through their concerns for ensuring fair outline conditions in the telecom industry.
A great number of new telecommunications companies therefore joined forces by founding the VAT. From the very beginning, the VAT played a major role in the initial negotiations regarding the interconnection charges of Telekom Austria. While during the initial interconnection negotiations the VAT acted as opponent of the former monopolist, it now increasingly assumes the role of communication and information hub for the new entrants to the market to safeguard their interests in the best possible way. There is much common ground between the VAT and TKC, from formal co-operation of VAT representatives in joint working groups at TKC to comments of the VAT on public consultation documents and planned statutory changes with regard to telecom regulation in Austria and Europe. Information on the VAT can be obtained at http://www.vat.at.
Internet Service Providers Austria (ISPA)
ISPA is the Association of Austrian Internet Service Providers and, in this capacity, an important contact for technical regulatory issues concerning the Internet. In the course of lengthy negotiations between ISPA and Telekom Austria about fast Internet access talks took place in which TKC acted as a mediator. ISPA has worked out guidelines for its members describing to the customers the extent of liability assumed by the ISPs, depending on the services offered, and the rules which the members of ISPA observe in the course of their business activities. These guidelines are available in the Internet for information or download at http://www.ispa.at/Richtlinie/Richtlinie.htm.
Forum for Mobile Communication (FMK)
The Forum for Mobile Communication was established in 1998 as a private law interest group of major actors in the field of mobile communications. Among the members of the FMK are all mobile operators active in Austria, equipment and terminal manufacturers as well as the Association of the Electric and Electronic Industry. The FMK aims at harmonising the interests of its members with those of the general public. The Forum for Mobile Communications considers itself as pivot of information between expert knowledge and information needs of the general public. There are links to Telekom-Control in many different areas, in particular in the course of (public) events and consultations. The web site of the Forum for Mobile Communications is available at http://www.fmk.at.
In Austria the assignment of Internet domain names is organised under private law. The top level domain ".at" is managed by NIC.AT Internet Verwaltungs- und Betriebsgesellschaft m.b.H. (http://www.nic.at/). The name servers of NIC.AT are run by Vienna University. NIC.AT also manages the subdomains ".co.at" and ".or.at". On an international level the administration of the generic top level domains (e.g. ".com" und ".org") is now organised along the principles of free market economy, co-ordinated by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN).
