Red Button chairman appointed to ACMA
Friday, 15 October 2010

The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Senator Stephen Conroy has announced the appointment of Professor Reg Coutts as a new part-time Authority Member of the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Professor Coutts is the chairman and co-founder of Red Button Technologies, an Adelaide based telecommunications start-up.

“Professor Coutts has a strong background and experience in telecommunications policy and regulatory practice, and expertise within the communications industry.”

- Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is responsible for the regulation of broadcasting, the Internet, radio communications and telecommunications.

The ACMA’s responsibilities include:

1. Promoting self-regulation and competition in the communications industry, while protecting consumers and other users;
   
   
2. Fostering an environment in which electronic media respect community standards and respond to audience and user needs;
   
   
3. Managing access to the radio frequency spectrum;
   
   
4. Representing Australia’s communications interests internationally.

“Professor Coutts has a strong background and experience in telecommunications policy and regulatory practice, and expertise within the communications industry,” said Senator Conroy.

Professor Coutts is currently Chair of the Telecommunications Society of Australia, Chairman of Red Button Technologies and was previously one of a six member panel of experts to assess proposals to build the National Broadband Network, and to advise the Government on the awarding of a A$4.7 billion contract to part fund the construction of the national broadband infrastructure.

Professor Coutts (now emeritus) set-up a telecommunications research centre at Adelaide University in 1993 and had a long career in both technology and commercial roles for Telstra.

Professor Coutts is described as a telco subject matter expert with specific expertise in wireless telephony and broadband technology.

For further information please contact Professor Reg Coutts on 0414 477 766 or reg.coutts@redbutton.com.au



Red Button Technologies Pty Ltd was formed in 2006 through a partnership between telecommunications expert Professor Reg Coutts and technology specialist marketer Justin Wearne.

Professor Coutts was a member of the expert panel formed by the Federal Government in 2008 to provide advice on the National Broadband Network which led to the announced policy to invest $43 billion on the national network; he is an Emeritus Professor of telecommunications at the University of Adelaide.

Red Button Technologies received an AusIndustry COMET Grant in February 2009 to develop the Connectivity Server prototype and to assist with commercialisation of the venture.

In December 2009, Red Button announced that it had received a $500k investment from Melbourne based firm Optimation Software Engineering and had entered into an agreement to develop and commercialise Red Button’s Connectivity Server platform leading to the development of the first consumer product.

Further information
Justin Wearne
Chief Executive Officer
Email: justin.wearne@redbutton.com.au
Mobile 0414 744 481

Prof. Reg Coutts
Chief Technology Officer and Chairman
Email: reg.coutts@redbutton.com.au
Mobile 0414 477 766

Melbourne Office
Red Button Technologies
Level 5, 448 St Kilda Road
Melbourne 3004
(03) 8669 1710

Adelaide Office
Red Button Technologies
Level 2, 27 Leigh Street
Adelaide 5000
(08) 8359 3066

www.redbutton.com.au