Key Dates
Next Grant Round:
Applications for funding will open early 2025.
> Information about our Grants Program
Independent Grants Panel:
Results of the recent EOI will be notified Dec 2024.
> Information about our Panel
We can help: grants@accan.org.au
or phone 02 9288 4000
Subscribe to Grants Program mailings
Sky Muster and Sky Muster Plus (or nbn’s Satellite Services) provide fast broadband coverage to around 430,000 homes and small businesses across regional, rural and remote Australia and its islands.
The 3rd edition of this extensive, easy to understand guide is now available for download in PDF and Word formats.
It covers topics such as:
Read more: Satellite - Sky Muster Guide 3rd Edition
Write comment (0 Comments)If you are Deaf, or have a hearing impairment or speech impairment, please contact us on 02 9288 4000 through your preferred National Relay Service call number or access point. For more information about the National Relay Service visit the National Relay Service website.
If you want to call us and need an interpreter, please call the Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National) on 131 450 and ask them to telephone ACCAN on 02 9288 4000.
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.
Community Position on the Public Procurement of Accessible Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
ACCAN and a consortium of Disability and Consumer Organisations are calling for a whole-of-government policy for the procurement of accessible information and communications technology (ICT).
Public procurement of accessible ICT, across all levels of government, will ensure that all Australians are able to participate and benefit from our growing digital economy.
Cybercriminals and scammers may defraud you and your customers if they can access personal details. Below are common cybersecurity solutions used by small business owners, and information on what to do if your website is breached.
Read more: Avoiding Website Security Breaches and Other Cybersecurity Tips
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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.
Desktop computers - Victoria
Deaf Australia
Since publication of the ‘What Standards?’ Auslan translation guidelines in 2015, the NDIS and pandemic have significantly reshaped Auslan user needs. This project will evaluate and update these guidelines by reviewing current usage and compliance across Australia, improving guidelines for Deafblind consumers, and incorporating emerging Auslan-first products, often viewed as a better alternative to translations. Ultimately, the findings will provide Auslan translation guidelines for current and foreseeable requirements, deeper consideration of Deafblind needs, and an understanding of when Auslan-first products should be produced instead of Auslan translations.
Len has been a lifelong champion of people with disabilities, particularly for the deaf and hard of hearing. He brought that commitment to the early days of the Consumers’ Telecommunications Network (CTN) and then to ACCAN. He has served on the CTN and ACCAN Board in many capacities including as Deputy Chair, Treasurer and member of the Finance and Audit Committee and Performance Committee. He has been a member of the ACCAN Independent Grants Panel since 2020.
He has brought his unique blend of knowledge and experience in communications and information technology to his involvement in ACCAN, with his portfolio of responsibilities including disability access, emergency services and emerging technologies.
Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network Limited (ACCAN) will be held via Zoom, on Thursday 26th September 2024 from 4pm.
Date: Thursday 26 September 2024
Time: 4pm (AEST)
Venue: Virtual Meeting via Zoom. Please register here by 24 September 2024
Read more: Notice of Annual General Meeting
Write comment (0 Comments)Today’s announcement from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Treasurer Jim Chalmers and Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones reflects consistent efforts from consumer advocates to improve shady practices employed by some businesses, and particularly digital platforms.
Unfair practices cost consumers more than just money – it costs them valuable time, reduces consumer confidence in markets and distort consumers’ ability to make free choices. ‘Unfair’ trading practices fall into a category of conduct which can be harmful, subtly manipulative or exploitative, but don’t reach a legal benchmark for unconscionable conduct – which is illegal. This reform will plug the gap between the law and community expectations.
ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett welcomed this move from the Prime Minister and urged the government to consider any reforms which result in better consumer outcomes.
ACCAN recently submitted to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (the Joint Committee) on the Cyber Security Legislative Package 2024 (the Legislative Package). ACCAN’s comments on the Legislative Package are restricted to the Cyber Security Bill 2024 (The Bill).
In this submission, ACCAN provides the Joint Committee with recommendations to improve the cybersecurity of consumers using connected devices, including Internet of Things devices, by improving the enforcement structures established under the Bill relating to the security standards of connected devices.
ACCAN recommends that:
Learning how to use and monitor your download usage effectively is the best protection against high bills. This ACCAN Consumer Meeting will provide information about how to avoid bill shock as well as assistance for case workers advising consumers about how to get redress for any complaints related to download bill shock.
Read more: Consumer Meeting: Bill Shock and Data Downloading
Download: Broadband Continuity Plan74 KB
Download: Broadband Continuity Plan252.67 KB
Your broadband service can be a critical business asset. If your broadband service failed, could your business continue to operate effectively?
To minimise the risk you are advised to:
a) Perform a risk assessment for your business use of broadband
b) Obtain the most resilient broadband service that you can afford – to match the level of risk.
c) Write an action plan of what you would do if you broadband failed (outage)
Read more: Broadband Continuity Plan
Write comment (0 Comments)This is a resources page.
The government should adopt ICT equipment and software procurement practices that ensure people with disability can use them.
What is a video on demand subscription service?
A video on demand subscription service provides consumers with the ability to watch videos online for a regular subscription fee, usually monthly. The term ‘videos’ can include TV shows and movies.
What accessibility features are common to playing videos online?
There are two main features that support the playback of online videos in an accessible way:
- Captions: this is the text version of speech and other sound that can be provided on videos. Captions can be either open (which means the captions are always on) or closed (which allows the consumer to turn the captions on or off).
- Audio description: this is when spoken narration is used to describe visual content. Narration is usually included between bits of dialogue and can be used to describe visual elements such as scenes, settings, actions and costumes.
In addition, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has produced the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 to make sure that creators of web and app content can include accessibility features such as captions, audio description and an accessible interface for assistive technology users. A simplified version of this standard is also available.
How do different subscription services compare?
According to research conducted by Curtin University in Perth, the following table highlights the five most popular subscription services in Australia and their accessibility as of mid-2016. More detail on these services are highlighted in other Tip Sheets.
| Provider | Captions? | Audio description? | WCAG 2.0 compliant? |
| Netflix Australia | Yes (most titles) | Yes (limited titles) | No |
| Stan | Yes (some titles) | No | No |
| Quickflix | Yes (few titles, difficult to identify) | No | No |
| Presto | No | No | No |
| Foxtel Play | No | No | No |
The video I want to play is not accessible. What are my consumer rights?
Currently there is no specific law in Australia that applies to the accessibility of subscription video on demand services. There are, however, some important facts to be aware of which may help support your viewing choices and can potentially provide an opportunity to raise concerns about this issue.
- Policies and legislation in the United States require high levels of accessibility in video on demand services. As such, USA-based services such as Netflix feature more accessibility and are likely to continue increasing their accessible content.
- Broadcast (‘free-to-air’) television in Australia is required to provide captioning under specific circumstances. As such, several cases have been lodged with the Australian Human Rights Commission arguing that online video should also be made accessible. This may result in improvements in the future for Australian-based services.
- While there is no specific Australian law that relates to the inclusion of accessibility in content delivered online, Section 24 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 does require that information should be provided to people with disabilities, and this is what has formed the basis for legal challenges.
- Some video on demand subscription providers such as Presto and Foxtel Play have community boards which can provide a mechanism to complain directly to the provider if there is a lack of access.
- Audio described content has been trialled in Australia on the ABC broadcast service and ABC iview free streaming service, suggesting that there is some progress being made in increasing the awareness of online audio described content in Australia.
The operation of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network is made possible by funding provided by the Commonwealth of Australia under section 593 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. This funding is recovered from charges on telecommunications carriers.
Fixed wireless broadband provides internet using an antenna dish installed on your house.
Here are some that we are aware of:
- Acenet AirStream (NSW Southern Highlands)
- Aussie Broadband (Gippsland, Western Victoria, South Australia)
- Beam Internet (Barossa Valley and Regional SA)
- BITS wireless
- Bitwave Networks (NSW – Parks)
- Clear broadband (Perth, Tasmania, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide)
- Clearstream Broadband (QLD – Brisbane, Ipswich, Lockyer Valleys)
- Countrytell (NSW- Hunter, Mid North Coast)
- Dreamtilt (QLD)
- DCSI (West Gippsland)
- Gtelecom (Greater Melbourne area)
- iiNet WiMax (South Australia)
- Just IP (regional NSW and Queensland)
- Lightning Broadband
- Next Gen Wireless (Queensland and Northern Territory)
- Node1 (Geraldton, Walkaway, Dongara and Perth)
- NuSkope (South Australia)
- Red Broadband (Western Australia)
- Red fox (QLD)
- Shoalhaven Internet (NSW - Shoalhaven)
- Speedweb (VIC - Morewell, Traralgon, La Trobe Valley)
- Splash Internet (NSW Eden area)
- Tasmanet (Tasmania)
- The Signal Co (Canberra)
- Wires Broadband (Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and Northern New South Wales)
- Wi Sky (regional NSW and Queensland)
- Uniti Wireless (Adelaide)
- YLess4U (ACT)
- Yourhub (Townsville, suburbs and surrounding areas)