Since launching in 2013, ACCAN's My Phone Rights app has helped thousands of Australians to better understand their rights as telecommunications consumers. The guides and tips in the app cover a range of topics that are helpful to all telecommunications consumers. My Phone Rights is available now for free on Android and Apple iOS devices.

With the app turning two this year, we thought it was time to revamp the tips and advice to keep up to date with the latest information. After all, the telco industry changes at such a rapid pace.

The app has advice for consumers and also small businesses on how to resolve common phone and internet issues including issues with contracts, bill shock, global roaming and data charges.

Read more: We’ve relaunched the My Phone Rights app!

ACCAN has recently endorsed the Communications Alliance draft DR C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Industry Code. The draft Code updates the previous version to bring it in line with the ‘temporary facilities’ requirements in the Telecommunications (Low-impact Facilities) Determination 2018.

ACCAN was a participating member of the Communications Alliance working group reviewing this Code.

Read more: Communications Alliance DR C564:2020 Mobile Phone Base Station Deployment Industry Code

Tuesday 1 July 10.00am

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network welcomes today's announcement that telcos will make mobile calls to 1800 numbers free of charge, but says it will hold the industry to its commitments regarding 1300 numbers.

Read more: ACCAN to hold industry to new 1300/1800 number commitments

Beginning 14 April 2015, the ABC will start trialling Audio Description on its iview online catch-up service. The trial will provide approximately 14 hours of audio described content each week and is expected to run for 15 months.

Audio Description is additional verbal narration that describes visual elements shown on screen during pauses in dialogue. It can describe elements such as scenes, costumes and actions.

Audio Description is important and useful for people with a vision impairment and people with a learning disability as it helps to enhance their understanding of what is happening on screen.

Read more: ABC iview Audio Description trial

The ACMA is inviting feedback to inform the development of its 2021-22 Compliance Priorities. These are the areas that will guide the ACMA’s activities when enforcing and improving rules and regulations about communications services.

ACCAN’s submission outlines key areas where the ACMA should direct its compliance and enforcement efforts, based on:

• the impact of these issues on consumers of phone and internet services,

• the severity of the risk of consumer harm stemming from non-compliance in relation to these issues, and

• member feedback and evidence received by ACCAN.

Read more: ACMA 2021-22 Compliance Priorities

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.

Read more: ACCAN CEO Speech: Making Ends Meet

The recent Federal Court decision in the Dallas Buyers Club case is the first of its kind in Australia. The decision means that the internet service providers (ISPs) involved – iiNet and others – will now have to give the Dallas Buyers Club rights holder, Voltage Pictures, the contact information of account holders who allegedly downloaded a pirated copy of the film.

Once this information is handed over, Voltage Pictures is able to send account holders a letter about the activity they allege has happened. In this case the Federal Court is reviewing all letters Voltage Pictures will be sending to account holders to make sure there is no 'speculative invoicing'. This is a fancy name for a demand for money to be paid to the rights holder for pirating the film. These letters might say that the company will take you to court if you don't pay. Speculative invoicing has been used overseas in the US, Canada and UK to intimidate consumers into paying compensation for claims of illegal file sharing.

Read more: Online piracy and speculative invoicing

The ACCC consulted on the NBN Services in Operation (SIO) Record Keeping Rules (RKR). The rules require NBN to share information on a quarterly basis with the ACCC regarding the number of services in operation, network capacity acquired, technology type and attributes as well as geographical distribution of services. This information is then shared as part of the NBN wholesale market indicators report. The rules are due to expire on 30 September 2020, the ACCC sought consultation on whether they should be extended or amended.

ACCAN supports the ACCC’s preference for extending the rules for another five years and believes that the rules provide a comprehensive view of the NBN wholesale market. We therefore provided no suggestions for revision.

Read more: NBN Services in Operation – Record Keeping Rules Consultation Paper

The Federal Government's data retention scheme, enacted in March 2015, will come into effect between 13 October 2015 and 12 April 2017. Our fact sheet covers what consumers need to know.

What is metadata?

Metadata, simply put, is 'data about data'. In telecommunications it is information about communications (e.g. the time a phone call was made and its duration), information about the people communicating (e.g. the sender and the receiver) including account and location information, and the device used. The scheme requires that service providers retain metadata but not the content or substance of a communication. However metadata can still reveal a lot of information about an individual and those they interact with.

Read more: Facts about the Federal Government’s data retention scheme

The Australian Broadband Advisory Council (ABAC) was established by Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts Minister Paul Fletcher in July 2020. ABAC is working to explore and promote ways that broadband connectivity can boost Australia’s economic output and improve Australians’ wellbeing.

In December 2020, ABAC released its first paper titled Riding the Digital Wave: Report on COVID-19 Trends and Forward Work Program. The report explores the impacts, challenges and opportunities of COVID-19 relating to broadband connectivity.

ACCAN strongly supports the work of the ABAC and has provided feedback on the Riding the Digital Wave report, identifying a range of issues that should be represented in ABAC’s future work plan.

Read more: ACCAN feedback on Riding the Digital Wave

The ACCAN Grants Scheme opened this morning and is now accepting applications until Tuesday 31st March.

If you're interested in creating educational resources for phone or internet consumers or in researching an issue that affects them, get in touch with us to chat about your project idea. Call 02 9288 4000 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. The most successful projects are those that have a good idea of the kind of work ACCAN does and understand the current telecommunications environment well. We look forward to hearing your ideas!

Read more: 2015 ACCAN Grants Scheme now open

Up until recently, superfast fixed line broadband networks serving residential customers had to operate on a structurally separated basis – which means a strict separation between wholesale and retail arms of the business. Recent amendments to the Telecommunications Act allow networks to functionally separate, which is a less costly way of achieving similar outcomes. The ACCC role is:

• to develop an optional standard functional separation undertaking for networks, as an alternative to networks developing their own;
  
  
• to make determinations exempting small network operators from separating wholesale and retail parts of their business.
  
  

The ACCC’s consultation is about proposed requirements for functional separation, and criteria for granting exemptions.

Read more: ACCC Superfast broadband network class exemption and deemed functional separation undertaking...

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.

Read more: ACCAN urges caution on changes to consumer protection for telco services

Recently ACCAN attended the Yabun Festival, held on 26 January in Victoria Park, Sydney. Yabun is the largest one day celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures in Australia. This year it was attended by some 8,500 people coming from many places around Australia.

At the event we were able to share lots of useful information for consumers on topics including: hidden costs in free apps, how to avoid smartphone bill shock and how to choose an internet service provider.

Read more: ACCAN at Yabun Festival 2015

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications sought feedback on whether it should allow the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission the power to permit certain fixed line networks to sell both wholesale and retail services.

Currently networks serving up to 2,000 residential premises can operate as both a wholesaler and retailer. The Department consulted on whether this limit should be extended to networks serving up to 12,000 customers in order to encourage investment and create more infrastructure competition. ACCAN considered that this should not happen until the following safeguards have been established:

Read more: Exemptions for controllers of superfast fixed-line networks from separation requirements

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.

Read more: App challenge launches to raise accessibility awareness

ACCAN has released the 2015 ACCAN Grants Guidelines ahead of the Scheme's opening on Monday 16th February 2015. The Scheme will be accepting applications for six weeks: from 16th February until 31st March 2015.

The ACCAN Grants Scheme funds projects that work towards a telecommunications market that is fair and inclusive for all – a market which is available, accessible and affordable. Projects focus on developing research, representation, or educational tools that address issues for telecommunications consumers in Australia.

Read more: 2015 Grants Scheme guidelines released

ACCAN submitted to the ACCC’s review on Division 12 and Internet Activity Record Keeping Rule where there were several proposals regarding the information the ACCC seeks from service providers.

Read more: Division 12 and Internet Activity Record Keeping Rule (RKR) review

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.

Read more: End the roaming rip-off

Australian telcos have taken action to reduce bill shock from global roaming by introducing roaming packs. But before travelling, you should consider all your options for global roaming, especially if you are on a tight budget. Check out your options for global roaming below.

Do you need to use your phone number while overseas?

Telstra, Optus and Vodafone offer their customers global roaming packs that include calls, text and data, at an extra cost. Virgin Mobile offers roaming packs that only include data. Signing up to a roaming pack can be a good option if you need to be contactable overseas on your Australian mobile number.

Read more: Tis the season to be travelling – staying connected overseas

The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications released an exposure draft of the Online Safety Bill in late December 2021 for consultation.

ACCAN provided a submission in response, welcoming the Bill’s move to improve Australia's online safety regulatory regime and shift the onus of responsibility for protection from online harm away from consumers back onto online platforms and services.

ACCAN agreed that some form of pre-emptive and preventative action is needed to protect all consumers from online harms, including those who are most vulnerable (e.g. children and seniors).

Read more: Online Safety Bill

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.

Read more: Data still a problem for consumers, while NBN connections a cause for concern

No doubt many of us are looking forward to getting a new smartphone for Christmas. But before you rush out to purchase the latest device for a loved one or yourself, there are a few things you should consider.

While price is likely to be a key decider, there are other factors to look at. Here are our top tips to keep in mind before purchasing a new smartphone or signing up to a new phone contract during the festive season.

Mobile coverage

The P3 CommsDay Mobile Benchmark 2015 tested the three Australian mobile networks (Telstra, Optus and Vodafone), giving a snapshot of the mobile coverage in larger cities, smaller towns and on highways around Australia. The Benchmark is an independent test that measures the quality of phone calls, and 4G and 3G data downloads.

Read more: Our top tips for buying a smartphone this Christmas

ACCAN has made two submissions to the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability (Disability Royal Commission). In these submissions we highlighted the importance of communications accessibility for consumers with disability.

Read more: Disability Royal Commission