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
A guide for consumers
The telecommunications regulator, the ACMA, has developed a new regulation called the Telecommunications (Financial Hardship) Industry Standard (the FH standard), which builds upon protections in the existing Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code (TCP Code). The FH Standard will commence on March 29, and compliance is mandatory.
Read more: Quick guide to the Financial Hardship Standard
Write comment (0 Comments)ACCAN has today welcomed the decisive action by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in holding Optus to account and issuing a $12 million fine for risking the welfare of hundreds of consumers during the widespread outage of November 2023. This latest fine signals the need for the company and its new CEO, Steven Rue, to put consumers first in its business practices.
The ACMA has found that 2145 people attempted to reach Triple Zero services during the outage, which it described as ‘preventable’. Optus failed to follow up on the welfare of nearly 370 customers once the outage was resolved, as they are required to do.
ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett said, “We know that new rules which set standards for telco practices during outages are soon to come into effect. Thankfully, this may serve to prevent this occurring in future.”
Read more: Optus cops major Triple Zero fine, must now put consumers first
ACCAN recently submitted to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) proposal to vary the Telecommunications Service Provider (Customer Identity Authentication) Determination 2022.
Join us for ACCAN's first Research Linkage Forum where we will showcase the diverse projects we are engaging in to drive our work and to build a consumer-centric base of evidence.
As part of our commitment to community and industry consultation, ACCAN runs a number of events each year. Our current and upcoming events can be found on this page. ACCAN encourages its Members to profile their communications events through our website.
If you would like any further information regarding our events, or to include your event on our site, please contact us.
You can see the speakers' presentations from the ACCANect 2018: Confidence in the connected world on the conference event page. If you are looking for information regarding past events it can be found in the events archive.
Download: 
ACCAN Magazine Issue 17 Spring 2015.pdf3.14 MB (Note: reading order not accessible)
Download accessible version: 
ACCAN Accessible Magazine - Spring 2015.docx45.5 KB
Currently you can choose from 10 different retail service providers to purchase an NBN Sky Muster or Sky Muster Plus plan. They are:
Will there be a difference in the level of performance between providers?
Yes, providers differ on the level of performance offered depending on the number of customers they have and how much they have invested in their service. It is not expected that each retail service provider will offer the same level of service. Therefore, you should check that the level of service offered matches what you need.
How can I compare providers?
There are a number of sites which you can use to compare retail providers:
- Product Review
- Whirlpool
- For video streaming, Google Video Quality Report
Australians with disability need greater access to television. ACCAN is calling for the implementation of Audio Description on free-to-air television and increased captioning across commercial television networks.
Australians with disability continue to struggle to have meaningful access to television.
An interdisciplinary team of researchers at the University of Melbourne have updated their research on the fate of online accounts, financial assets and personal profiles when a user passes away. The team investigated licencing policies, terms of use agreements and copyright law, and interviewed a range of people, including funeral directors, religious workers, internet content and service providers, as well as estate planning lawyers.
The updated version includes new features and services such as 'legacy contact' options, legislation changes and online bereavement practices.
The summary below outlines ACCAN's activities from 1 June – 31 August 2019.
Curtin University
Approaches to the accessibility of subscription versus free to access Australian video on demand platforms have been evaluated with research gathering new insights from consumers with disabilities.
Read more: Access On Demand: An Analysis of the Accessibility Options on Streaming Television
Tablet devices - Northern Territory
Further information for financial counsellors
The telecommunications regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), has developed a new regulation called the Telecommunications (Financial Hardship) Industry Standard (the FH standard), which improves protections in the existing Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code (TCP Code). The FH standard is mandatory, and will commence on March 29.
Read more: New Telco Financial Hardship Protections: A guide for financial counsellors
Write comment (0 Comments)The peak body for communications consumers, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) today described the alleged actions of Optus in mis selling products to vulnerable consumers as ‘unconscionable’ and called on the Federal Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland to directly regulate the industry to end this pattern of behaviour by telcos.
The ACCC has today alleged disgraceful conduct by Optus – Australia’s second largest telco. Court action has been launched which accuses Optus of taking advantage of consumers, predominately First Nations, regional consumers, consumers with a disability, and low-income consumers.
Read more: Disgraceful Optus conduct must spur fundamental change in telco sector
In December 2024 ACCAN provided a submission to the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee concerning the National Broadband Network Companies Amendment (Commitment to Public Ownership) Bill 2024 [Provisions].
This summit is co-hosted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) and the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN). The summit will be an opportunity for consumer advocates to outline how the telecommunications industry’s poor customer service and complaints-handling practices affects their clients and constituents, and comments on the recommendations being proposed by the ACMA.
Ensuring the security of multiple online accounts might seem like a big task, but it is important you do not use the same password for all of your accounts.
Data breaches of well-known websites are becoming more common, and using the same password across multiple accounts puts you at risk of cyber-criminals accessing your banking, social media accounts and other personal information.
Here are some tips for creating strong, unique passwords that will keep your personal information safe online:
Read more: Creating strong, safe passwords
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Download: ACCAN Magazine Issue 16 Winter 2015.pdf2.77 MB (Note: reading order not accessible)
Download accessible version: ACCAN Accessible Magazine - Winter 2015.docx44.6 KB
Sky Muster (or nbn’s Long Term Satellite Service) will provide fast broadband coverage to three per cent (or around 400,000) of homes and small businesses across regional and remote Australia and its islands.
Am I eligible for services?
Eligibility to obtain these services can be checked on the nbn website.
Consumers currently using satellite services (such as Interim Satellite Service (ISS), Australian Broadband Guarantee (ABG) or National Satellite Scheme (NSS)) will be able to switch to the Sky Muster service (some consumers may receive other technology such as Fixed Wireless). See ‘Switching from another satellite service’ for more details.
What if my address is not on the nbn website but I think it should be?
You should contact a Retail Service Provider (RSP) and discuss your eligibility with them.
How do satellite broadband services work?
The Sky Muster satellites will provide a connection between customer houses and RSPs. When you request to access information from your house, the request is sent from your satellite dish to the satellite 35,786kms above the equator. The signal then travels to one of nbn’s ground stations which connect to your RSP and finally the internet. Information is then sent back to your device in the reverse direction.
To find out more information on what to expect from Sky Muster services see ‘What to expect from a Sky Muster broadband service’.
How do I order a service?
Services can be ordered now. To get connected:
- Check if you are eligible (nbn website)
- Choose a retail service provider (see ‘Choosing a retail service provider’) and plan that suits your needs (see ‘Choosing a plan that suits your needs’)
- Get Connected (see 'Getting Connected' for more information).
What services will work over Sky Muster?
Broadband services will work over Sky Muster.
You may be offered other services, such as phone services (called VoIP). See ‘Voice services’ for more details.
Existing phone and internet services delivered over copper, radio and wireless technologies will continue to be offered and you can keep these services.
IMPORTANT QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER AND ASK YOUR PROVIDER
- Can I use all my current services with this plan?
- How long will it take to get connected?
- What do I need to do to prepare my property for connection?
- Will my other satellite equipment be uninstalled at the same time?
- When will the billing start?
- What speed level will I get on average with this plan during peak and off peak hours?
- Apart from the monthly charge, what other fees do I need to pay?
- Do I need to purchase a new router?
- Can I get VoIP services? Is the router set to ensure quality voice services?
- How do I access my data tracking service?
- Will there be any additional charges for connecting or fault repairs?
- Is my property a standard installation? Can I cancel the service, without charge, if I am not a standard installation?
- Do you offer service guarantees for fault rectification and outages?
Will nbn be offering services for children’s education and community use?
Yes. Internet plans are available for distance education children. See ‘Remote and Isolated Communities and Distance Education’ for more information.
What do I do if something goes wrong?
You should contact your RSP if something goes wrong. See 'Interruptions, faults and repairs' for further information on what to do if something goes wrong and 'Who to contact, complaints and further information for contact details.
I am due to get satellite, but I would rather have fixed wireless. What are my options for alternative nbn networks?
If you wish to consider an alternative technology other than satellite, nbn offers a ‘technology choice’ program. There are two possibilities. The first is area switch. This is where a number of properties in an area collectively pay to receive a different technology. The second is individual switch, where one property pays to switch technology.
Both of these options can cost a significant amount of money. Costs range from a few hundred thousand dollars to millions of dollars, depending on the complexity and size of the switch required.
Google and ACCAN partnered again in 2017 to offer a paid internship opportunity. Applicants were invited to submit a brief proposal outlining a research project on an emerging communications consumer issue.
The winner was law and communications student, Jesse Chen, who wrote an in-depth research report titled: 'Breaking Down Barriers to Digital Government: How can we enable vulnerable consumers to have equal participation in digital government?
The summary below outlines ACCAN's activities from 1 March 2019 – 31 May 2019.
Charles Sturt University
This project and its report outlines regional and rural consumer understandings of smart technologies and their applications in North West New South Wales, Australia. It identifies consumer engagement with digital infrastructure, the changing nature of development and planning in a digital context and the impact of smart services on social relations.