Hot Issues
Welcome to the latest current affairs that impact communications consumers.
Sign up for ACCAN's weekly newsletter to have these news items sent to your email address each week.
[ List view | Detailed view ]
The ACCANect Conference is fast approaching
- Details
Have you registered for the ACCANect Conference yet? There’s only two weeks left to get your ticket.
It’s being held at the Aerial UTS Function Centre in Sydney on Wednesday 20 September – Thursday 21 September, 2017.
Read more: The ACCANect Conference is fast approaching
Write comment (0 Comments)nbn market report
- Details
Every quarter the ACCC releases a report on the services operating over the NBN wholesale network. The report provides some interesting insights into the NBN, here are some that we find useful.
Number of services
The report shows that over 2.5 million premises are connected to the NBN as at June 2017.
Fibre to the Premises (FTTP) is the primary technology used. The number of services over both Fibre to the Node (FTTN) and Hybrid Fibre-Coaxial (HFC) technologies are increasing at a fast rate. The graph below charts the number of services for each quarter by access technology.
Figure 1: Number of services by access technology1
Write comment (0 Comments)Connecting remote Indigenous communities
- Details
Getting remote communities connected can be difficult due to the tyranny of distance. Recently we’ve heard some great stories about retail service providers, infrastructure providers and other organisations that are helping to connect Indigenous consumers in some of the most remote parts of Australia. In this article we’ll look at some of the ways this is being achieved.
Satellite broadband provider, Activ8me, is working with the Australian Government to improve access to telecommunications services in remote Indigenous communities.
Read more: Connecting remote Indigenous communities
Write comment (0 Comments)Call for nominations for the ACCAN Board
- Details
ACCAN is seeking nominations for Directors to fill three (3) vacancies on its Board.
In accordance with the ACCAN Constitution, the 2017-2018 ACCAN Board will consist of nine (9) members1. Six (6) positions are continuing Directors from the 2016-2017 Board. Three (3) Directors are retiring from the Board but may be eligible for re-election as stated in the ACCAN Constitution.
In accordance with the ACCAN Constitution Board members are elected for a three year term.
Read more: Call for nominations for the ACCAN Board
Write comment (0 Comments)Five years of ACCAN consumer wins
- Details
In June we were very excited to sign a new funding contract with the Department of Communications and the Arts. The new contract ensures that ACCAN will continue to represent consumers in the telecommunications industry for the next five years.
When the contract was signed, ACCAN CEO, Teresa Corbin said: “The recent ACCAN review highlighted the strong support for the work ACCAN does and many stakeholders reinforced the need for a united consumer voice in the telecommunications industry.
“A big thank you must go to ACCAN’s supporters including members, volunteers and industry representatives for their ongoing commitment to ensuring we remain a relevant and effective organisation.”
Read more: Five years of ACCAN consumer wins
Write comment (0 Comments)In the field – ACCAN Grants Scheme 2012-17
- Details
In the past five years, a total of $1,256,055.86 has been awarded to universities, research organisations, community groups and not for profit organisations to help consumers navigate the telecommunications and technology landscape.
The ACCAN Grants Scheme has funded 31 different projects since 2012, examining emerging technologies like 3D printing, through to more serious consumer issues, such as technology facilitated stalking and abuse.
Read more: In the field – ACCAN Grants Scheme 2012-17
Write comment (0 Comments)What to do if you get third party charges on your phone bill
- Details
Have you received a text message like the one below informing you that you’ve subscribed to a subscription service and will be charged a fee for that service?
These types of messages don’t come from your telco and may result in charges being added to your phone bill. These charges are for third party services which means your telco is allowing another provider to sell content to you which you pay for on your phone bill. What you are buying can be phone apps, pay per view videos, games and other content. They can be one-off charges or ongoing subscriptions.
Read more: What to do if you get third party charges on your phone bill
Write comment (204 Comments)Explore the connected world at ACCANect 2017
- Details
Have you noticed how more and more everyday items are now connected to the internet?
While we used to have ordinary watches that told us the time and the date, we now have smartwatches that track our fitness, alert us about emails and more.
Read more: Explore the connected world at ACCANect 2017
Write comment (0 Comments)ACCAN conference announcement
- Details
Your place in the connected world
ACCANect 2017
20-21 September, Sydney
Digital technology has transformed consumer experiences around the world. Everything will be connected: devices, houses, transport, food production, health and government services. The “always connected” world raises big questions.
Join us at ACCANect 2017 and help shape the future for connected consumers.
Read more: ACCAN conference announcement
Write comment (2 Comments)Subcategories
News [blogs] - Election 2019
Find resouces on political party policies, election issues and more.