Read more: Pitjantjatjara

Through this priority, ACCAN will advance the interests of consumers by supporting policy settings that provide for reliable, resilient and robust infrastructure. ACCAN will continue to engage with key infrastructure policy matters, including the economic regulation and pricing of NBN and legacy communications services and infrastructure investment programs.

Key issues in this policy priority include improving the coverage, capacity and reliability of regional, rural and remote infrastructure to support consumers, small business and communities to grow and thrive.

Nan Bosler has been both an individual member and an organisational representative of ACCAN on behalf of the Australian Seniors Computer Clubs Association (ASCCA). Nan came across from the CTN Board as a founding member of the ACCAN Board 2008-2010. Nan has been a dynamic advocate in the telecommunications policy arena for seniors. Through her work as President of ASCCA she has ensured digital literacy has been high on the list of priorities for all levels of governments and the private sector.

ACCAN recently commissioned research asking the Australian public about their top concerns when it comes to their communications services.

We surveyed nearly 1000 (n=998) Australians on a range of topics. We asked people about the affordability and reliability of their communications services, their use and trust of public wi-fi, their TV viewing habits and what they do to keep themselves safe on social media, messaging apps and other digital platforms. The results show that in 2022, Australians expect a communications market that is trusted, inclusive, accessible and available for all.

Read more: Consumer Check-in: Expectations in 2022

Domain Registration Lapsed – What’s Next?

To keep your domain name registered and working, you need to renew it.

Your registration may be valid for 1 – 5 years or even longer depending on the licence you purchase. When it’s time to renew your domain, your registrar should give you 90 days’ notice.

Read more: Troubleshooting Your Website Domain and Keeping It Protected

ACCAN has today released our Retail Registration Position.

Developed in consultation with consumers and other stakeholders, the Retail Registration Position outlines how a telecommunications registration scheme administered by the ACMA could be implemented.

Carriage Service Providers (CSPs) in Australia do not currently need to register or apply for a licence to sell services before entering the telecommunications market. Without minimum standards for market entry, it is difficult to prevent non-compliance and consumer detriment due to CSP conduct before it occurs.

Read more: Retail registration

Desktop computers - South Australia

Period: 1 December 2022 – 28 February 2023

Read more: Quarter 3, FY22-23

Center For Accessibility Australia

Consumers with disability have reported to the CFAA that there is a lack of adequate mobile plan cancellation options with support limited to text-based AI chatbots and no alternative phone, email, or TTY support. This project will evaluate the support and cancellation process of all Australian companies providing a mobile SIM and create consumer resources for disability groups. Telcos will be provided guidance to improve their support offerings and accessibility to consumers with disability.

The Center For Accessibility Australia did a similar project Telcos for all: Addressing Key Accessibility Issues Faced by Consumers on Telco Carrier Websites in 2020.

Read more: In progress! Plan cancellations for all: Supporting consumers with disability in identifying...

Read more: Gerard Brody

Delegate resources from Centre for Inclusive Design

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) is calling on the Federal Government to implement direct regulation, via a service provider determination, to protect consumers facing domestic and family violence.

ACCAN welcomed the Government’s decision earlier this year to enforce protections for financial hardship. Yet just as financial hardship should not be a reason Australians are forced to go without essential communications services, victim-survivors of domestic and family violence (DFV) should not be cut off from crucial means of communication due to the actions of abusers or as a result of poor practice on the part of service providers.

Read more: Consumers facing domestic and family violence must see better protections

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) welcomes the establishment of an industry working group by the Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, to ensure the planned switchover from 3G to 4G happens in a safe way.

The working group will include representatives from Telstra, Optus, Vodafone/TPG and the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association, with the Department of Infrastructure. Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts participating with an observer status.

Read more: Consumers welcome Industry Working Group to ensure safe shutdown of 3G networks

ACCAN recently submitted to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) Digital Platform Services Inquiry – September 2024 report revisiting general search services issues paper.

Read more: Digital Platform Services Inquiry – September 2024 report revisiting general search services

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. 

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:

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

Download: Easy English logo design set 139.27 KB

© Copyright 2021

The following information is for the Disability Equipment Programs offered by Telcos.

Read more: Disability Equipment Programs

If you're finding it hard to pay your phone or internet bill, you are not the only one. Lots of people face unexpected circumstances at different times in their lives – like losing a job, having a relationship breakdown, becoming sick or even after bushfires, floods and cyclones.

The contact details of Optus, Vodafone and Telstra can be found on the Get Help page.

2024 Grants Round

The next round of the ACCAN Indpendent Grants Program will open: Tuesday 30th January, 2024.

If you are thinking of applying, we encourage you to contact us in advance. The Grants Team is available all year round* to provide feedback on your project idea and answer any questions you have. Please Contact Us.

*Note that the ACCAN office will close December 22nd 2023 and reopen Monday 8th January 2024.

When the round opens, we will publish updated Guidelines and Priority Themes, which are expected to be similar to previous years. Below you can find information about last year's Round for your reference:

• 2023 Round Guidelines
• 2023 Round Priority Themes
• 2023 Round Timeline
• Who can apply?
• What is eligible?
• What won't get funded?
• Contact us

2023 Round Guidelines (2024 Guidelines COMING SOON)

Consult the Guidelines for everything you need to know about how the ACCAN Grants Program works, including eligibility, how to apply, the timeline and what to expect. These guidelines contain the rules for the Program and the assessment approach.

Download:ACCAN Grants Program Guidelines 2023.docx4.69 MB

Download:ACCAN Grants Program Guidelines 2023.pdf1020.47 KB

2023 Round Priority Themes (2024 Priorities COMING SOON)

All applications MUST be framed in terms of a specific consumer problem aligned with ACCAN's strategic plan. 

If you are applying under the Research Stream, you MUST ALSO demonstrate alignment with one of the below Priority Themes. Priorities are formulated in consultation with ACCAN's stakeholders and change year to year.  

2023 Priority Themes: 

• Communications privacy and security e.g., cyber-security.
• Digital exclusion e.g., policy issues; practical responses; economic cost.
• Communications affordability e.g., Obstacles to device and service upgrades; mis-selling; sales tactics; financial hardship.
• Solutions to communications issues for remote consumers.
• Other topics which can demonstrate direct alignment with ACCAN’s strategic plan.

   

2023 Round Timeline (2024 Timeline COMING SOON)

Who can apply?

Eligible projects come from a range of applicants, such as individual researchers, community organisations, local councils and universities – all you need is an ABN and some great ideas. Check our website to see previous grant recipients. We strongly encourage partnerships, so if you're interested in a partnership with industry, a community organisation or university, get in touch with us as we may be able to make an introduction.

What is eligible?

Eligible projects address telecommunications consumer issues. A telecommunications consumer issue is one that is systemic, persistent and generally widespread, affecting consumers in their use of telecommunications and internet services. The issue could be something that affects the general public or it might be an issue affecting a particular part of the community such as children, older people, or people with disabilities, but preferably one where multiple sectors would benefit from a solution.

It could be a project that addresses consumer rip-offs or people getting into debt over their phone or internet usage. Or you may be studying the regulatory space for telecommunications services in Australia. These are just some examples. Whatever your project, it fills an identified gap and improves telecommunications goods, services or information for Australian consumers.

Make sure you have a look at ACCAN's strategic plan, our policy priorities and website before applying.

What won't get funded?

We often see applications which use apps, websites or other technologies to benefit Australian consumers in some other way eg. to improve their health, educate them about community services, or deliver arts or wellbeing programs to Australians in need. While these are all worthwhile projects, they do NOT fall within ACCAN's remit and would be deemed ineligible under the ACCAN Grants Program. Your project needs to demonstrate outcomes for telecommunications consumers.

Questions to ask yourself include:

1. How does my project improve the purchase or use of phone and internet services in Australia?
   
   
2. What are the outcomes for the telecommunications sector? Is my project directed at telcos, telecommunications regulators, government or consumers with regards to their telecommunications use?  - If so, then your project is likely within scope. If your aim is to improve other sectors, then your project is ineligible.

 ACCAN's scope generally does NOT include content, unless that content is related to telecommunications eg. phone plans, billing, privacy of telco contracts, consumer rights with regard to phone or internet services.

If you're unsure if your project fits our Program, or even if you're sure it does, talk to us. If you give us enough time, we may even be able to provide feedback on application drafts.

For the full list of eligibility criteria, see the Guidelines.

Will ACCAN fund overheads?

ACCAN won't fund overheads, such as administration levies, general office space and so on. We don’t cover normal operating costs for an organisation to do its business either. The grant program funds clearly defined projects and project activity towards specific outputs.

We do cover all costs that are directly attributable to the project itself, e.g. project labour, project management, project accounting, or even office space and room hire if it can be justified as directly attributable to the project.

It all depends on how clearly the cost is related to the project - If you weren’t doing this project would the cost still exist? If yes, then we won’t cover it. Is it an arbitrary levy added by your organisation on top of the project? If yes, we won't cover it. We only cover costs for activities inside the project.

Contact us

We strongly encourage prospective applicants to phone or email ACCAN's grants team to discuss your project idea. Remember, applications are assessed independently, so we are able to help you develop your idea and hone it appropriately for the ACCAN Program. We're also available for any other questions you might have about ACCAN Grants.

Email: grants @ accan.org.au
Phone: 02 9288 4000
Or contact us via the NRS. 

The purpose of the Small Business Advisory Forum (SBAF) is to discuss the most important telecommunications consumer issues from the perspective of key representative in the small business environment and the people they represent, with a view to incorporating these into ACCAN's work priorities.

Read more: Small Business Advisory Forum

Download: What affects the quality of my broadband brochure40.75 KB

Download: What affects the quality of my broadband brochure404.28 KB

Hello...hello...can you hear me..?

Is poor internet preventing you from talking with family and friends, watching your favourite shows or uploading photos of your recent adventures to share with everybody?

Read more: What affects the quality of my broadband?

Executive

Gareth Downing, Acting 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.

Tanya Karliychuk, Director of Operations

Tanya oversees a team responsible for ACCAN’s federally-funded Grants Scheme, commissioned research program, and consumer education program. She provides leadership ensuring ACCAN adheres to its values and advances its strategic direction. With extensive experience in research management within the Australian university and NFP sectors, combined with a background in international development, Tanya is especially focused on maximising the outcomes achieved from community-sector collaborations.

Tanya has driven the writing, winning and delivery of large government grants in the international development sector, as well as smaller community sector grants for various volunteer projects. She is currently Co-Convenor of the NSW Chapter of the Australasian Research Management Society. Tanya holds a Master of International Affairs from ANU and a Bachelor of Psychology (Hons) from Macquarie University.

Media and Policy Staff

Alec Bennetts

Alec Bennetts is ACCAN's Media and Communications Officer. He oversees external ACCAN communications, including media releases, newsletters, website content, social media, 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.

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.

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 sessional academic. 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.

Kelly Lindsay

Kelly leads the ACCAN policy team’s consumer engagement and outreach. She is responsible for building and managing relationships with a diverse range of consumer stakeholders and members. An experienced advocate at ACCAN, Kelly previously worked for the Queensland Government in areas of project coordination and stakeholder management in the built asset environment. 

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

Audrey Reoch leads ACCAN’s work on infrastructure and economics policy. Audrey previously worked at the Department of Infrastructure and later Communications, where she represented Australia in the Universal Postal Union and International Telecommunication Union to advocate for international standards in the interests of Australian consumers. 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.

David Swayn

David leads ACCAN’s policy work for people with a disability. David has substantial experience working in disability advocacy and accessibility-based roles with responsibilities including systemic advocacy, project leadership, and regional and national engagement. David holds a Bachelor of Psychology and a Bachelor of Business and is a committee member of the Australian Web Accessibility Initiative (OzeWAI). David has lived experience of disability.

Through our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), ACCAN aims to:

• build and maintain positive relationships and partnerships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities;
• ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members and/or employees of ACCAN are valued for their unique perspectives and experiences;
• support story telling as a culturally important form of communication for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
• assist in reducing the digital divide for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples;
• demonstrate culturally safe engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Read more: Reconciliation Action Plan

ACCAN’s purpose is to work for “communications services that are trusted, inclusive, accessible and available for all.”  We need the expertise and support of individuals and organisations to help guide ACCAN’s work towards better outcomes for all communications consumers. ACCAN facilitates opportunities each year through our consultative forums and conference for ACCAN Members to help guide our strategic direction. Become an ACCAN Member and have your voice heard!

The benefits of becoming an ACCAN member are:

We put consumers first

We are a community-based, member-driven, not-for-profit, non-party political organisation.

Be heard:

Tell us about your issues and opinions through direct contact with us. We also have expert Advisory Forums, which members can nominate to join, which help us identify consumer issues and strategies to address them. 

Be informed:

Our weekly newsletter will keep you up to date with news and issues affecting consumers and the communications industry. Your membership also means you will receive ACCAN at a Glance which will keep you up to date with our policy, grants and research activities, as well as industry and regulatory news, and tip sheets.

Be equipped:

ACCAN tip sheets and educational resources will help you and your constituents on consumer rights and important issues.

Fight the good fight:

Take part in our campaigns, research and grants projects to help us advocate for consumer rights.

Networking:

Participate in ACCAN Events, including discounted fees for our annual conference, profiling your work and events through our website, find other events and contacts through ACCAN.

Have a say:

Your membership to ACCAN entitles you to nominate and vote for directors on the ACCAN Board.  You can also choose to become a non-voting, Associate Member.

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.

Read more: ACCANect 2016