Period: 1 June – 31 August 2024

This quarter ACCAN has continued to respond to core consumer issues, delivering 23 submissions covering topics such as the Regional Telecommunications Review, First Nations digital inclusion and the NSW Digital inclusion strategy. ACCAN's advocacy through TCP Code consultations resulted in the expansion of fee free payment methods available to consumers, and we continue to seek further substantive improvements.

ACCAN was pleased to see that our input was taken into consideration in the directions to the ACMA on the Optus outage, Complaints Handling Standards and the Emergency Call Service Determination. We look forward to continuing to contribute to the final standards.

The 2024 Round of the Grants Program was finalised this quarter, with 3 new projects announced spanning digital inclusion, digital safety and communications for public housing residents. These tackle important issues for disadvantaged consumers and we look forward to seeing them get underway.

A key priority for this quarter was continued engagement with the Department and NBN Co on the progress of ACCAN’s economic regulatory function regarding NBN’s obligations under the Special Access Undertaking. While a budget allocation was made to ACCAN in the May budget there is no funding agreement in place, despite the importance of the consumer engagement potential.

We have also continued to engage with industry, with regard to price changes, amendments to core products (including Telstra’s decision to cease selling new copper ADSL services) as well as the future of the telco sector to ensure that digital communications services conform to existing communications service standards and regulations. We anticipate that there will continue to be significant work emerging in the next quarter and throughout this financial year.

ACCAN welcomed 6 new members this quarter, taking our total membership to 193. We have maintained strong links with our membership and other important stakeholders to ensure that their concerns are represented, particularly in substantial consultations such as the Regional Telecommunications Review, a comprehensive submission of nearly 50 pages. ACCAN also organised a forum focusing on the National Relay Service, in order to support advocates and connect members on matters pertaining to its future.

ACCAN staff also continued to travel over the period to engage with important stakeholders at events such as the ACCC/AER Regulatory Conference held in Brisbane over 1-2 August. We continue to participate in forums such as the National Anti-Scams Centre (NASC), the NBN Low Income and Digital Inclusion Forum (LIDIF), and various Home Affairs committees regarding cyber security.

This quarter has been a step change for ACCAN’s media engagement. The presence and capacity brought by a new CEO has unlocked media efforts with ACCAN generating 157 media hits across national print, online, TV and radio. Items of interest included the shutdown of 3G networks, mobile price increases, scam rule breaches, regional connectivity, scams and general consumer advice.

ACCAN has published 16 articles, focusing this quarter on the 3G network shutdown, anti-scam compliance failures, improved regulation of domestic and family violence responses and the SMS sender ID Register. We continued our fruitful collaboration with Google during Scams Awareness Week, with our Guide to Spotting Scams accruing 2.6 million additional views through Australian YouTube ads.

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