ACCAN has responded to the draft report published by the ACCC on the public inquiry on the access determination for the domestic mobile terminating access service (MTAS). The purpose of the inquiry was to set an appropriate price that mobile network operators can charge for calls terminating on their mobile networks.

The ACCC carried out a benchmarking exercise which sought to estimate the current cost of providing MTAS in Australia by comparing the cost of providing the service in various countries and applying it to an Australian context. ACCAN supports the methodology used in the benchmarking exercise which produced a range for the estimated cost of supplying MTAS in Australia, but questions aspects of the approach taken by the ACCC.

These guides are designed to help you understand how to get your home or small business phone, mobile and internet connected, and how to get help if there are problems with your service.

Talking Telco also includes great tips for saving money on your phone and internet service and how to stay safe online.

Your Internet and Home Phone

Learn how to get connected to an NBN phone or internet plan and how to get help if things go wrong.  If you need a satellite service you can download the Sky Muster Guide.

Your Mobile

Need help choosing a plan? Want to learn how to solve common problems? Find help here.

Your Telco Rights

Can’t afford your bill? Want to make a complaint? Learn about your rights as a telco consumer.

Your Digital Safety

Tips to help keep yourself safe online and over the phone.

Your Money Saving Guide

Tips to help you cut costs on your phone and internet plans.

Your Small Business Guide

Phone and internet advice tailored for small businesses.

 

 

Acknowledgement of Country

The Australian Communication Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be aware that this website contains images, names, and audio recordings of people who may have passed away.

 

Acknowledgement of Accessibility

ACCAN acknowledges the need to actively promote equal access to all ACCAN events, consultations, submissions and other information. This reflects our principles of equal access and meaningful inclusion of people with disability. ACCAN strives to be a model in this field, for other not-for-profits, industry and government.

ACCAN endeavours to maintain its website in accordance with the WCAG 2.1AA guidelines and WCAG 2.1AAA guidelines where possible. We welcome feedback on our content.

 

External Content Acknowledgement

Although ACCAN takes care to direct our subscribers to sites with accurate and reliable content, we advise that ACCAN is not responsible for the content within external sites and has no control over the views, services or information contained therein. Information contained on external sites may not necessarily reflect ACCAN's policies, standards or beliefs.

 

 

 


All content on this website that is not an external link or externally sourced and cited, is the property of ACCAN. You are free to quote from our media releases.

Individual publications on this website which are labelled as Creative Commons publications are licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/au. You are free to cite, copy, communicate and adapt this work, so long as you attribute The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) and/or any other authors.

If you intend to use ACCAN content please contact us to discuss any licensing restrictions.  ACCAN retains a library of works and design files that may be made available to you to help you with your work.

Consumer Information, such as tip sheets, that are produced solely by ACCAN and distributed on its website are available for use by external parties under the following creative commons licence. 

Creative Commons Licence
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia License.

ACCAN's Easy English logo is available for use under the following license:

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

Download: pdfEasy English logo design set 139.27 KB

 

© Copyright 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

Executive

Carol Bennett ACCAN CEO  

Carol Bennett, Chief Executive Officer

As CEO, Carol oversees all of ACCAN's work and operations. She is a highly respected leader with a strong track record of delivering positive change for consumers and communities in all her previous CEO roles. She has outstanding expertise in strategic decision-making, communications, advocacy, stakeholder management, financial performance, collaboration building, government relations and corporate governance.

Carol has held senior executive and board positions with national peak bodies in the health sector. Most recently, she was CEO of the Alliance for Gambling Reform from 2021 until commencing at ACCAN in mid-2024.


Gareth Downing - Deputy CEO  

Gareth Downing, Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Gareth oversees a team responsible for ACCAN’s policy work, community engagement and membership. His career has focused on policy and regulation and he has worked on policy across a number of regulated sectors including telecommunications, energy and water.  Gareth is committed to advancing consumer’s interest through his leadership of ACCAN’s policy team.

Gareth has previously sat on the ACCAN board, and prior to that worked for ACCAN in the role of Senior Policy Analyst providing advice on a wide range of policy, economic regulation and pricing matters. Gareth holds tertiary qualifications in policy, economics and law.


Staff

Ifield Joanna lo col

 

 

Joanna Ifield

Joanna Ifield is ACCAN’s Director of Policy. Joanna has worked in senior leadership roles in financial services consumer protection regulation, including compliance monitoring under industry self-regulatory frameworks. She has had a long career in consulting, providing pricing and infrastructure economic regulation advice to regulated businesses in energy, water and transport sectors, as well as government agencies on regulatory policy and reform projects. Joanna has built strong relationships with consumer advocates and representatives, working collaboratively to improve outcomes for consumers.


 

Alec Bennetts photo  

Alec Bennetts

Alec Bennetts is ACCAN's Media and Communications Officer. He oversees external ACCAN communications, including media releases, newsletters, website content, and member communications, and ensures ACCAN is well-represented in national and local media. Alec has previously worked in policy research and political communications. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Sydney.


 

Elise E  

Elise Ackland

Elise has always had a keen interest in technology and harnessing its potential, particularly for people with disabilities and seniors. Living with a physical disability herself, Elise uses that lived experience and her keen interest in technology to empower people, encouraging them to seek out positive ways for assistive technology to enhance and support their lives. 

Elise’s knowledge and skills have been built up over decades of experience supporting Australians with internet access, assistive technologies, and communications devices. Her career has included supporting Australians with the switchover to digital TV, the rollout of digital radio, assisting people with different abilities to get online, and more recently in the nonprofit sector, training volunteer cancer survivors to use virtual meeting technology to share their important stories with Australian medical schools.

The Accessible Telecoms project is a great fit to share her skills and knowledge with people who may be struggling to keep up with the advancements in telecommunications and assistive technology. 


 

Con Gouskos photo  

Con Gouskos

Con Gouskos leads ACCAN’s work on telecommunications consumer protections. Con regularly engages with financial counsellors and community legal centres concerning telecommunications consumer protections. Con holds a degree in International Studies from the University of New South Wales and a Certificate IV in Government from TAFE. He is currently working towards a Master of Administrative Law and Policy at the University of Sydney.


 

david hack headshot  

David Hack

David is a graduate policy and research officer working in ACCAN’s policy team to advocate on communications issues and provide coordination assistance for ACCAN’s grants program and commissioned research. David holds a Bachelor of Information Communication Technology from Western Sydney University and previously worked in the IT sector before an interest in economics and policy led to further studies in that field. He holds a graduate certificate in behavioural economics and will soon complete a Masters in Behavioural Economics from the University of Technology Sydney.


 

Sam Kininmonth photo  

Sam Kininmonth

Sam Kininmonth leads the ACCAN policy team’s research work and engagement with the research sector. An experienced consumer advocate, Sam previously worked as a lecturer at the University of Melbourne and RMIT University. He holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Swinburne University of Technology and a Bachelor of Communication (Distinction) from RMIT University. Sam is completing a PhD on digital media and automation in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Automated Decision-Making and Society at RMIT University.


 

     
Rebekah

 

 

Rebekah Palmer

Rebekah Palmer is ACCAN's Communications and Policy Officer, leading social media and marketing efforts while supporting the organisation's communications strategy. She also contributes to the policy team, focusing on consumer protections. Rebekah holds a Bachelor of Communications (Honours) from the University of Technology Sydney.


 

Dr Amelia Radke  

Dr Amelia Radke

Dr Amelia Radke leads ACCAN's work on digital inclusion, with a particular focus on issues relating to the affordability and accessibility of services for First Nations Australians, regional, rural, and remote Australia, and vulnerable consumers. She has extensive experience in policy and research both in academic and non-government settings. She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in anthropology and a PhD in legal anthropology from the University of Queensland.


 

Audrey Reoch photo  

Audrey Reoch

Audrey Isadora Reoch is Director of Economic Regulation and leads ACCAN’s engagement with NBN Co on their proposed expenditure, revenue, pricing and service levels for broadband services. Audrey has worked across several fields in infrastructure and regulatory economics through her work at ACCAN and the federal infrastructure and communications departments, where she represented Australia in the Universal Postal Union and International Telecommunication Union. She holds an MA in Social and Political Thought from the University of Sussex and an Honours Degree in Political Economy from the University of Sydney.


 

Amelia website image  

Amelia Pearson

Amelia Pearson is an economic policy officer focused on ACCAN's engagement with NBN Co, specifically addressing the economic aspects of broadband services. Amelia has a Bachelor of Politics, Economics and Philosophy and a Bachelor of International Relations from the Australia National University.


 

Anabelle website image  

Anabelle Keaney

Anabelle Keaney is ACCAN’s Social Media and Content Manager. With a background in media, marketing and graphic design, she enjoys bringing these disciplines together to craft compelling content in both a written and visual capacity. She holds a Bachelor of Media (Public Relations & Advertising) and Bachelor of Design (Honours) from the University of New South Wales and has studied Creative Writing at the University of Oxford.


 

Audrey Reoch photo  

Ayden Castro

Ayden is a highly organised and results-driven Office Manager with extensive experience in office operations, administrative management, and executive support. At ACCAN, he plays a key role in streamlining workflows, enhancing productivity, and fostering a collaborative work environment that supports the organisation’s mission and leadership.

 

As part of its consultation strategy, ACCAN has four Standing Advisory Forums. The four Standing Advisory Forums have replaced the previous Standing Advisory Committees that made up ACCAN's consultation framework – the Standing Advisory Committee on Consumer Affairs (SACCA) and the Standing Advisory Committee on Disability Issues (SACDI).

The new framework commenced in 2015 and will see each Advisory Forum meet annually. Additionally, where there are specific issues which require consultation, the ACCAN CEO may form Expert Advisory Committees.

  • The Members Advisory Forum will focus across all the areas of ACCAN's activity and policy work.

  • The Disability Advisory Forum will address issues regarding accessibility and suitability of communications services and products for Australians living with a disability.

  • The Indigenous Advisory Forum focuses on Indigenous communications issues and suitability of communications services and products for Indigenous consumers.

  • The Small Business Advisory Forum will work to ensure that the voice of small business consumers is heard in the telecommunications industry.