ACCAN CEO SPEECH TO INFORMA CONFERENCE: MELBOURNE 24 JUNE 2014

'Collections & Hardship Programs in Utilities, Banks & Telecommunications: Exploring best practice in hardship programs and collections across four sectors'

Thank you for the invitation to speak today.

As some of you may know ACCAN stands for the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network. We are the peak body for consumer representation and advocacy in communications.

ACCAN, Australia's peak body for communications consumers, says the government's deregulation proposals which could affect the amount of time consumers have to wait to get a landline phone connected or fixed must be more comprehensively reviewed. ACCAN has also flagged concerns around proposed changes to privacy rules for the telco industry.

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network and the Australian Human Rights Commission have today launched the inaugural Apps For All Challenge 2014, a competition to find Australia's most accessible apps.

Peak telecommunications consumer body ACCAN has endorsed the Government's Bill to create a competitive global roaming market. The legislation will allow the ACCC to investigate, and if necessary, act on wholesale global roaming prices between Australia and New Zealand, with the potential for similar agreements with other countries. This will have a positive impact on Australian consumers, businesses, and telcos.

Peak communications consumer group ACCAN says quarterly complaints data released today by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) shows an overall decrease in complaints, yet excess data charges and connections in NBN areas are a concern.

Three leading consumer organisations have joined forces, calling on Australians to stop throwing away their monthly mobile phone allowance and help drive greater competition from providers.

ACCAN, Australia's peak communications consumer body, says some consumers are being gouged by telcos for sending an SMS and has asked the ACCC to take action.

ACCAN, Australia's peak body for communications consumers, has written an open letter to Google Australia & New Zealand managing director, Ms Maile Carnegie, calling on Google to follow its own mission statement and make online information 'universally accessible' by making its reCAPTCHA service fully accessible.

ACCAN, Australia's peak body for communications consumers, congratulates Telstra on its plan to delete discriminatory online CAPTCHA tests from its websites and encourages other providers and businesses to follow suit.

Australians who are deaf or hard of hearing will be able to have phone conversations in near real-time thanks to a new 24/7 communications service switched on today.

New global roaming research commissioned by ACCAN has revealed the extraordinary price differences that exist both across and within providers.

Telecommunications providers should set their own targets for complaint reductions and be transparent with internal complaint data in order to build greater trust with consumers, ACCAN CEO Teresa Corbin said today.

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