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Notice is hereby given that the Annual General Meeting of the ACCAN will be held at the ACCAN office, WeWork, 320 Pitt Street, Sydney or via Zoom, on Thursday 12^th October 2023 from 4.00pm.

ACCAN AGM

Date:  Thursday 12 October 2023
Time:  4.00pm (AEDT)
Venue: Hybrid Meeting via Zoom or at the ACCAN office, WeWork, 320 Pitt Street, Sydney – Please register from here by 10 October 2023

Read more: Notice of ACCAN Annual General Meeting (Hybrid Meeting)

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 NSW Fair Trading Strategy and Regulatory Priorities Discussion Paper (the Discussion Paper).

ACCAN supports the proposed strategic direction as outlined in the Discussion Paper. ACCAN considers that NSW Fair Trading should take into account the connectivity issues faced by communications consumers living in strata/renting when deciding its future strategy and regulatory priorities.

Read more: NSW Fair Trading Discussion Paper

Connecting Today's Consumer session transcripts and presentations are now available.

Every consumer wants to be connected and enjoy the benefits of competitive products and prices, but what’s the reality in Australia today and what can be done to improve the consumer experience?

Connecting Today’s Consumer explored the big issues facing Australian telco consumers – When and how can every Australian connect to our broadband and mobile networks? Are we being offered truly competitive content and products? How do we ensure consumers know their rights and can act on them?

Read more: Connecting Today's Consumer

The TIO, Australian telcos and financial counsellors have worked together to develop best practice guidelines to assist telcos to help customers who are experiencing financial hardship.

The second edition of the guide, Responding to Customers in Financial Hardship: Principles and Practices for Telecommunications Providers, was published in May 2017.

The three biggest telcos have spend and usage tools to help you know how much of the different types of services you are using.

Read more: What spend and usage tools are available?

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.

This tip sheet can help you complain about communciations privacy issues such as spam emails, telemarketing and privacy breaches. It can also help you to make complaints about privacy issues with social media websites like Facebook and services that track your location, such as Google Maps.

What is a privacy complaint?

Australian consumers have the right to make complaints about privacy issues. Privacy issues in the communications sector are becoming more common as we share more information online than ever before. These add to existing privacy issues relating to communications such as spam (unwanted emails from companies and organisations), telemarketing calls and the misuse of silent telephone numbers and personal information.

Read more: Privacy complaints: who can you turn to?

Ask your provider if your request for service can be added to a waiting list.

Providers should keep your address and notify you when services become available in the future.

Download: ACCAN Magazine Issue 27 Autumn 20184.5 MB (Note: reading order not accessible)

Download accessible version: ACCAN Magazine Issue 27 Autumn 2018 - accessible version44.2 KB

A new report released by ACCAN today delves into young people’s experiences and issues with accessing and using phone and internet services.

We know that for many young people, phone and internet services are vital for work, study, accessing services and keeping connected with family and friends.

Our research focused on:

• The services used by young people, and their needs,
• How they navigate the market, make choices and deal with issues
• What is important to them when it comes to communications services.
  

  Read more: ACCAN Youth Check-In Research Report

Sue Salthouse AM became Chair of ACCAN following its first AGM in 2009 and she was also the chair of the ACCAN Standing Advisory Committee on Disability Issues. She was on the inaugural ACCAN Board in 2008 and completed her term at the end of 2011. Prior to that Sue worked closely with TEDICORE on many communications consumers issues. She was on the Telecommunications Consumer Representation Working Group which developed the ACCAN proposal. Sue co-ordinated the Women with Disabilities Australia (WWDA) Telecommunications Working Group and was the Chair of the Communications Alliance Disability Council. Sue has made major contributions to improving the accessibility of telecommunications for people with disabilities in Australia.

Visit Sue's ACCAN condolence page.

University of Melbourne

Telcos are increasingly using chatbots and other forms of automated assistants to respond to their customers. There may be gains for consumers, but there are also the risks of harms, and this project seeks to investigate and recommend strategies to assist consumers to navigate these risks.

Read more: Questioning the chatbot: scrutinising the performance of Telco customer service chatbots in terms...

ACCAN has today released our Priority Assistance Position statement.

Designed in consultation with consumers and other stakeholders, the Priority Assistance Position outlines consumer expectations for a new, whole of industry approach in the provision of Priority Assistance services. This new approach would see Priority Assistance services which offer consumer choice, provide robust service continuity requirements, reliable interim, or back-up services and expanded eligibility with streamlined approval procedures.

Read more: Priority Assistance

ACCANect 2021: #DigitalDownload featured a range of presentations about key topics including cyber security advice for small businesses, how Australians’ changing communications habits are driving change in the telecommunications sector, and what the digital platforms are doing to tackle misinformation.

The ACCANect 2021 #DigitalDownload is available on our Delegate Connect conference platform as Video on Demand.

Read more: ACCANect 2021 # DigitalDownload

The summary below outlines ACCAN’s activities from 1 December 2021 – 28 February 2022

Read more: Quarter 3, FY21-22

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ACCAN is seeking nominations for Directors to fill four (4) vacancies on its Board.

In accordance with the ACCAN Constitution, the 2023-2024 ACCAN Board will consist of nine (9) members^[1]. Six (6) positions are continuing Directors from the 2022-2023 Board. One (1) Director is retiring from the Board having completed two full terms and is ineligible for re-election in 2023-24.  One (1) Director resigned from the Board on 16 August 2023. Two (2) Directors were co-opted to fill casual vacancies in 2022-23 in accordance with Section 21 of the ACCAN Constitution and are eligible to nominate for election to the Board.  In accordance with Section 20 of the ACCAN Constitution, Board members are elected for a three-year term.

Read more: Call for nominations for the ACCAN Board

Read more: Gareth Downing

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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) welcomes the new Telecommunications (Financial Hardship) Industry Standard, developed by the ACMA at the direction of the Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP.

ACCAN CEO Andrew Williams said that the new financial hardship standard is a critical improvement in consumer protections for telecommunications consumers.

Read more: Financial Hardship Rules a Welcome Protection for Struggling Consumers

ACCAN recently submitted to the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts on the draft Ministerial Policy Statement — Expiring Spectrum Licences (the Draft). 

Read more: Draft Ministerial Policy Statement — Expiring Spectrum Licences

This Roundtable will hear about current cyber security issues from leading advocates in the disability sector, as well as discussing industry and government initiatives designed to create a safer online experience. The Roundtable will identify what people with disabilities need to protect themselves online.

Read more: Cyber-Security Roundtable for People with Disabilities