ACCAN has responded to the Federal Government’s thematic review of the Customer Service Guarantee (CSG). The CSG is an important consumer protection as it requires telecommunications service providers to connect and fix landline services within specified time frames.

In our response, we outlined that the CSG framework should be retained, with short term amendments that focus on improving transparency of the framework. Over the long term, the CSG framework should be modernised to promote better consumer outcomes by: 

• Implementing appropriate Statutory Infrastructure Provider standards, rules and benchmarks to address key reliability issues arising at the wholesale level.
• Expanding CSG services to include broadband services so that minimum service levels exist at the retail level.
• Modernising adverse weather exemptions to ensure the effects of climate change do not unduly reduce the scope of the CSG.
• Reviewing compensation amounts so that compensation for non-compliance reflects the economic and social costs faced by consumers from disconnection.

Download:  DITRDCA - Thematic review of the Customer Service Guarantee3.54 MB

Download:  DITRDCA - Thematic review of the Customer Service Guarantee267.67 KB