The Customer Service Guarantee should be updated to include internet and new reliability measures.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) was delighted to host the 2023 Sue Salthouse Memorial Lecture on 5th December 2023.
ACCAN is pleased to announce we held the ACCAN 2023 Communications Consumer Congress at the Aerial UTS Function Centre in Sydney on Tuesday 12th and Wednesday 13th September 2023.
The Congress was headlined by keynote addresses from Gerard Brody and Commissioner Angelene Falk. Panel discussions featured leading community voices, academics and industry figures, and ACCAN's executive team updated guests on our recent work and emerging issues. A transcript and audio of the event will be available on the following page shortly.
To those who attended, thank you for joining us at the Congress as we strive to achieve ACCAN’s vision of communications services that are trusted, inclusive, accessible, and available for all.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) was delighted to hold the 2nd Annual Sue Salthouse Memorial Lecture online at 4:00 pm on Thursday 1st December 2022.
ACCANect 2022 Better Basics featured a range of presentations about key topics including access to reliable communications services, affordable communications, on-line safety and trust, and the essentiality of communications.
Thank you for joining us as we probed the progress and challenges of modernising communications basics for consumers, and to the future opportunities to work together and achieve ACCAN’s vision of communications services that are trusted, inclusive, accessible, and available for all.
All conference registrations have access to a video on demand (VOD) broadcast of the conference on the Delegate Connect Conference Platform.
Registration remains open for those who are not registered and wish to watch ACCANect 2022 Better Basics VOD.
ACCANect 2021: #DigitalDownload featured a range of presentations about key topics including cyber security advice for small businesses, how Australians’ changing communications habits are driving change in the telecommunications sector, and what the digital platforms are doing to tackle misinformation.
The ACCANect 2021 #DigitalDownload is available on our Delegate Connect conference platform as Video on Demand.
In Australia, and worldwide, the demand for consumer IoT devices and appliances is soaring as they become more affordable and the ongoing rollout of 5G mobile technology in Australia means in just 2 years, the average Australian household will likely contain 18 IoT connected devices.
Internet of Things (IoT) powered smart devices and appliances provide consumers with optimal convenience, however, Australia’s current regulatory system offers consumers little protection. An enforceable regulatory regime is needed.
The IoT Position Paper Launch will highlight the key areas of concern for IoT devices in Australia and what consumers need from an Internet of Things regulatory framework.
About | Episode 1 | Episode 2 | Episode 3 | Episode 4 | Episode 5 | Episode 6
ACCANect Online
ACCANect Online provides a platform for telecommunications consumers to hear from leading voices in the telco sector about the key communications issues that are impacting consumers today and into the future. The new multi-part video series from ACCAN features presentations on the accessibility of communications services, issues relating to regional, rural and remote Australians, and digital inclusion, as well as interviews with ACCAN CEO Teresa Corbin.
Read more about the speakers below.
– Deidre O'Donnell, ACCAN Chairperson
Date: 11-12 September 2019
Venue: Aerial UTS Function Centre, Sydney
ACCAN is constantly striving for improved, consumer-friendly, telecommunications services for all Australians. This year we celebrate a decade of bringing the consumer voice to the telco table.
ACCANect 2019 will provide an opportunity for consumers to reflect on the last 10 years of change in telecommunications and to hear about the challenges and triumphs that consumers have faced. We will also look to the future and hear from our guest speakers about the current trends and increase in demand for telecommunications services towards 2030.
Conference background
In 2018, technology and digital services are all around us. Consumers use the internet and telecommunications services to stay connected, go shopping, link into education and job opportunities and access government services.
While we increasingly live our lives online, it’s vital that we don’t leave anyone behind.
- What gaps will appear in the connected world?
- Who will and won’t be able to access services due to limitations on connectivity?
- What can we do to ensure that people are not only connected but also have the confidence to use new technologies to their benefit?
We will explore these questions and more at the 2018 ACCANect Conference, themed: ‘Confidence in the Connected World’.
ACCANect will be an opportunity for consumers, providers and government representatives to get up to speed on consumer concerns around the connected world.
Digital technology has transformed consumer experiences around the world. Consumers can buy products, access information, and communicate with people anywhere in the world with just the touch of a button. We are told that soon everything will be connected so the theme of this year’s ACCANect is ‘Your place in the connected world’.
This “always on”, always connected world raises some big questions for consumers. Is our personal information safe online? Do we know what data is being collected about us and are we happy with how it is being used or shared? How do new services make decisions about us and are they fair? How can we make sure everyone can access an open internet, as well as benefit from the convenience, choice and lower prices?
ACCANect was an opportunity for consumers, providers and government representatives to get up to speed on what’s available now, what’s over the horizon and what the benefits and challenges are going forward.
As well as debate and discussion, ACCANect will provided practical tools for those attending to navigate the connected world. We looked at the latest research as well as successful initiatives both here and overseas to promote and improve connectivity.
Transcripts and presentations will be put into the sessions below when available.
Download: 
ACCANect Program55.75 KB
Download: 
ACCANect Program5.23 MB
All videos and presentations have been uploaded in the form provided to ACCAN. Where a video is not captioned unedited transcripts as captured on the day are provided. ACCAN endeavours to supply all materials in an accessible format and will update this page with more accessible versions as they become available.
Background
The digital world can be very complex and challenging for consumers to navigate. ACCAN’s goal is available, affordable and accessible communications services for all Australians. As part of the National Year of Digital Inclusion, the ACCANect Conference focused on how to empower consumers to get and stay connected to the phone and broadband services they need.
ACCANect provided opportunities for consumers, providers and government representatives to get up to speed on what’s available now and what’s over the horizon.
Our 2016 Conference is all about equipping consumers with the tools they need to get and stay connected to communications services. We have identified three key areas where consumers need better tools. Please share your responses with us on any of the questions below:
- What legal protections do consumers need to help them get/stay connected?
- What information needs to be more widely accessible to consumers?
- How could products be better designed to suit consumer needs?
The ACCAN National Conference, Dollars and Bytes - Communications affordability now and tomorrow, was held from 1-2 September, 2015, at the Aerial UTS Function Centre in Sydney.
Affordability is one of our core objectives and was the focus of the Conference. Affordability of communications products is an issue that affects all consumers, from young people, to families and seniors.
Presentations and transcripts are now available and are linked below.
The Universal Service Obligation (USO) is a vital consumer protection in Australia. The USO ensures a standard telephone service (generally fixed line voice services) and pay phones are accessible to all people in Australia. It was formally introduced in 1991, but it has seen a number of changes over the years.
Connecting Today's Consumer session transcripts and presentations are now available.
Every consumer wants to be connected and enjoy the benefits of competitive products and prices, but what’s the reality in Australia today and what can be done to improve the consumer experience?
Connecting Today’s Consumer explored the big issues facing Australian telco consumers – When and how can every Australian connect to our broadband and mobile networks? Are we being offered truly competitive content and products? How do we ensure consumers know their rights and can act on them?
ACCAN's engagement with rural, regional and remote consumers has continually highlighted the importance of improving mobile communications outside of urban centres. Better mobile coverage will yield a range of benefits to regional and remote Australia including improved business opportunities, better access to essential services and enhanced safety and well-being.
The presentations and transcripts of all M-Enabling Australasia 2013 sessions are now available. M-Enabling Australasia 2013, held on 14-15 August 2013, brought together the who's who of disability advocacy, policy makers, manufacturers, developers, service providers and consumers to discuss how to make technology more accessible for people with disability and older consumers.