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Summary: The ACCAN Grants Scheme is now open and accepting applications for a total funding pool of $250,000.

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ACCAN recently submitted to the Department of Communications and the Arts review of the 2015 Telecommunications in New Developments (TIND) Policy. The policy governs the development of telecommunications infrastructure in new greenfields sites and competition between private sector infrastructure providers and NBN Co.

ACCAN is regularly contacted by consumers residing in non-NBN networked new areas that are experiencing poor service outcomes through slow or intermittent services, while facing higher than competitive retail prices for services that are often lower value than their NBN alternative. However, systematic evidence of poor outcomes is limited due to the opacity of current reporting arrangements.

 

A new report into communications-related privacy complaints has found there are vast differences in complaint resolution times, remedies and compensation available to consumers, depending on which of the three statutory bodies you lodge a complaint with.

 

ACCAN has today released its updated broadband policy position – Our Broadband Future. This 2014 update takes into account the views of members expressed to us in consultations we held last year.

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ACCAN recently submitted to the Joint Parliamentary Committee on the NBN inquiry into the business case for the NBN and experience of small businesses.

The Committee is inquiring into the rollout of the NBN and the performance of NBN Co. in relation to its key financial and economic forecasts, coverage, the delivery of services to small and medium businesses, as well as pricing and in particular the effect of pricing on low-income and rural and regional consumers.

Peak consumer group ACCAN says it is pleased with the announcement by Telstra today that it intends to waive a $2.93 monthly silent line fee for people who are under a protection order or at risk of violence.

The M-Enabling Australasia 2013 conference was held on 14-15 August in Sydney, Australia. The two days consisted of enthralling discussions and practical presentations about mobile technologies and how they can benefit people with disability and older consumers.

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) conducted a consultation regarding proposed amendments to the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019. This Determination imposes requirements on carriers, carriage service providers and emergency call persons (Telstra and the National Relay Service provider) regarding access to the emergency call service (000, 112, 106). This consultation was in response to issues raised by the Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Delegated Legislation.

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) says telecommunications customers should expect to see improvements in customer service, complaint handling and a reduction in the number of customers experiencing “bill shock” if the new Telecommunications Consumer Protection (TCP) Code is effectively enforced.

Summary: Would you know if some of your consumer rights were left out of a telco contract? And could it end up costing you? ACCAN's fine print project reveals some concerning findings, with the ACCC asked to step in to protect consumers.

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ACCAN recently submitted to ACMA’s Draft Telecommunications (Mobile Number Pre-Porting Additional Identity Verification) Industry Standard 2020. ACMA drafted the Standard to help prevent the unauthorised porting of mobile service numbers and reduce the damage done to consumers from this activity.

Mobile number fraud is a gateway to identity and financial theft. ACCAN is aware of numerous reports by victims of fraudulent number porting which reinforce the need for stronger protections.

The 2013 Round of the ACCAN Grants Scheme opens today with $265,000 available for organisations, or individuals who apply for funding before 2nd April.

The ACCAN Grants Scheme funds projects that help to work towards the organisation's vision of available, accessible and affordable communications services for all Australians. 

This Sunday 26 January, the ACCAN team will be down at Yabun, Australia's biggest Indigenous festival with a range of useful info and giveaways. We also have a fantastic print by emerging Indigenous artist Graham Toomey to give away to a lucky visitor to our stall.

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ACCAN recently submitted to the ACMA’s review of the NBN consumer experience rules.

The rules focus on improving the way the telco industry handles consumer complaints about the NBN, provides information about the NBN to consumers, and ensures consumers have access to a working service. The consumer experience rules also provide for the regulation of the migration of services from the legacy network onto the NBN.

Peak telecommunications consumer group ACCAN says the announcement made by Communications Minister Stephen Conroy today regarding the National Relay Service (NRS) will save lives through a new service that will enable Deaf, hearing impaired and speech impaired Australians to contact emergency services via SMS.

Summary: ACCAN policy officer Xavier O'Halloran describes an all-too-familiar experience with annoying telemarketers, and why ACCAN thinks we should hang up on their calls for good.

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The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications, previously named the Department of Communications and Arts, is looking to trial alternative ways of delivering voice (home phone) services in regional, rural and remote (RRR) areas. The Department is focusing particularly on areas in the high capacity radio concentrator (HCRC) footprint, where voice services are delivered via radio technology, rather than copper or via the Internet.

The Department is seeking feedback on how the trials should be designed, run and evaluated. ACCAN supports the trials as a welcome step towards delivering quality and reliable voice services in regional, rural and remote areas. We argued that a number of improvements could be made to the Department’s proposal, including: introducing performance benchmarks for trial services, developing minimum service assurances for participating consumers, and developing robust feedback mechanisms for all trial participants.

New research by leading telecommunications analyst firm Market Clarity has found nearly 29% of small businesses owners are suffering the same customer service and complaint-handling problems experienced by general consumers, even though the vast majority are paying for business-grade services.

Summary: ACCAN and CHOICE have teamed up to make sure consumers are protected when using m-commerce.

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ACCAN has provided a brief submission to the Communications Alliance review of Guideline G660:2018, Assisting Customers Experiencing Domestic and Family Violence. This Guideline offers education to telco providers about the impacts of domestic and family violence and how they can help customers who are experiencing domestic or family violence.

In our response, ACCAN outlined that more information is needed about whether the Guideline is currently being used by telcos. Once more is known about the use of the Guideline, ACCAN believes that the intended audience of certain parts of the Guideline could be reviewed to make it more user friendly for telco staff. We also suggested that the length of the Guideline could be reviewed given the length of other industry guidance notes regarding domestic and family violence.

Peak telecommunications consumer body ACCAN is calling on the ACCC to take action on apps that advertise as free but aggressively encourage or require in-app purchases to keep playing.

Summary: Telstra has been fined over half a million dollars for failing to connect new landline phones in a timely manner, yet ACCAN is concerned that affected consumers are unaware of their right to compensation. 

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ACCAN recently submitted to the ACCC’s inquiry into NBN Access Pricing. The inquiry examined the possibility of ACCC regulating the price of entry level NBN services, in order to facilitate consistent pricing for services that are equivalent to legacy ADSL internet services.

ACCAN is supportive of measures being taken to allow for consumers to smoothly transition to NBN services without facing material increases in the price of their existing service.

Although broadly supportive of the ACCC’s inquiry, ACCAN argued that:

  • The best approach to providing pricing relief is through the introduction of a funded concessional broadband service for low income households;
  • If pricing regulation of the NBN is implemented, it should be applied to the 25/5Mbps speed tier rather than the 12/1Mbps speed tier;
  • The proposed retail price point of $60 for (a 12/1Mbps service) was well in excess of what many consumers can afford to pay.

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network has called on mobile providers such as Telstra and Vodafone to end the rort in exorbitant excess mobile data charges by introducing reasonable hard caps.

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