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

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The Board of the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) today announces that, for personal reasons, ACCAN’s CEO Andrew Williams, will leave the organisation in February 2024.

Professor Julian Thomas, ACCAN’s Chairperson said, “Andrew has been with ACCAN for nearly five years, firstly as our Director of Operations and as our CEO for the last two years.  During this time he has led the organisation through a period of significant transition and on behalf of the Board I thank him very much for his contributions. 

ACCAN recently submitted to the Australian Media and Communications Authority’s (ACMA) Our approach to radiocommunications licensing and allocation 2024 consultation.

ACCAN’s submission:

This document presents findings from a quantitative investigation into consumer experiences, perceptions and concerns in the communications market.

Monash University

Grant round: 2015

Grant: $14,572

The No Australian Left Offline - National Webinar was held 9 December and provided a report back on the key issues from the 6 State and Territory based virtual roundtables that have taken place during 2020.

These roundtables have provided a unique opportunity for those involved to share and discuss some of the barriers that are impacting communities when it comes to getting connected and using the internet.

ACCAN and nbn Co. plan to continue this collaborative approach into 2021, working towards more affordable, reliable broadband services for all Australians.

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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has welcomed the findings of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)’s latest Annual Report showing that complaint numbers have declined notably in the last 12 months.

TIO data published today demonstrates a 16.5% reduction in complaints in 2022-23 compared with the previous year. While this is a welcome trend, mobile service complaints now account for 48% of all complaints lodged with the Ombudsman, and are proportionally at their highest level in over six years.

ACCAN recently submitted to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s opportunity to reply to comments on the Review of the Numbering Plan and other instruments discussion paper.

The Australian Health Workforce Institute (AHWI) at The University of Melbourne conducted a study exploring how people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds living in one region within Melbourne’s North use telecommunications (telephones and the internet) to access health information. In particular the team wanted to know whether members of these communities use landline telephones, mobile phones and/or the internet to access information about health and well-being, and health services, and determine any particular needs or characteristics of this group in accessing health care providers and information.

The Communications Law Centre, UTS

Grant round: 2015

Grant: $30,522

Consumers often experience long wait times and poor customer service when trying to resolve issues with their telcos, but how much time does this take, and at what cost?


To find out, ACCAN commissioned a survey to ask 2994 consumers about their experiences when they contact their telco. Based on the results, we have worked out the cost to consumers in time lost resolving their telco issue, instead of doing something else.

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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has welcomed the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s (ACCC) acceptance of NBN Co’s Special Access Undertaking (SAU) Variation.

The SAU sets out the rules by which NBN Co provides wholesale access to retailers. It will determine the price and quality of voice and broadband services delivered over the NBN until 2040.

ACCAN recently submitted to the NSW Digital Inclusion Strategy. In the submission, we suggested the NSW Telco Authority:

  • Ensure everyone in NSW has access to affordable broadband services and devices.
  • Consider the accessibility of appropriate communications services in regional, rural, and remote communities and First Nations communities in NSW.
  • Investigate the availability of communications services and devices for people with disability in NSW.

This research marks an exciting new phase in ACCAN’s advocacy for a fairer and more competitive communications market. Using qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the research goes to the heart of consumer relationships with their telecommunications providers and looks at why decisions in the market so often result in issues down the track. It helps us to gain insights into two broad areas:How are consumers navigating the telecommunications market, specifically in relation to experiences with confusion, information overload, and determining value and risk, and how can they fare better?

Media Access Australia (MAA)

Grant round: 2015

Grant: $55,706

ACCAN’s Survey reveals telecommunications services are essential to small businesses but they are being let down by performance and customer service.

Man at desk checking his mobile phone

ACCAN surveyed 183 small and medium sized businesses between September – October to gain an understanding of SME’s experiences with their telecommunications providers during the pandemic.

Issues of speed, reliability, poor customer service and high costs were predominant. Of all the issues, speed and reliability was mentioned the most, with 39% of SMEs who provided feedback citing poor service performance, slow internet speeds, dropouts, outages, congestion and unacceptable latency.

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The Australian Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) welcomes the Minister of Communications, Michelle Rowland’s, decision to direct the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to implement a standard for financial hardship.

“ACCAN strongly supports the Minister for Communications directing the ACMA to make a directly enforceable instrument for safeguarding telco consumers experiencing financial hardship,” said ACCAN CEO, Andrew Williams.

“Establishing substantive protections for telco consumers will support as many as 2.4 million Australians who have had difficulty or struggled to pay a telco bill in the last 12 months,” said Mr. Williams.

ACCAN recently submitted to the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group’s consultation on establishing a roadmap for First Nations digital inclusion.

ACCAN endorses the development of the First Nations digital inclusion roadmap, which aims to provide sustained guidance on collaborative approaches between government, industry, and First Nations peoples and communities to address the digital divide. In addition to ACCAN’s responses to the consultation questions, we recommend that the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group explore governance and legislative channels to mandate First Nations representation on government, regulatory, and industry boards.

Government ICT Purchasing: What differences do accessibility criteria make for people with disabilities? is a project undertaken by Dr Will Tibben of the University of Wollongong and Gunela Astbrink of GSA Information Consultants that collected the latest available information about accessibility in ICT government purchasing in OECD countries and examined steps that need to be taken for ICT public procurement in Australia. The project was funded under the 2011 round of the ACCAN Grants Scheme.

Queensland Remote Aboriginal Media (QRAM)

Grant round: 2015

Grant: $49,600

With much of Australia’s east coast currently impacted by wild weather, many Australians have found themselves evacuated or having lost telecommunications services due to the impact of this strong weather.

Which mobile phone and nbn sites have been impacted?

Optus

Visit Optus’ website to get the latest updates for customers in flood-impacted areas

Telstra

Visit Telstra’s website to get the latest updates for customers in flood-impacted areas

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The Australian Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) welcomes the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) position paper for the telecommunications sector, What consumers want – Consumer expectations for telecommunications safeguards, released today.

The ACMA’s position paper reflects ACCAN’s view that telecommunications safeguards arising from the TCP Code are not delivering for consumers in many essential areas.

‘The ACMA’s position paper is reflective of a growing consensus that existing consumer protection arrangements are not fit-for-purpose.’ said ACCAN CEO Andrew Williams.

ACCAN recently submitted our response to the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA) Review of the Numbering Plan and other instruments discussion paper. Telephone numbering is a fundamental aspect of our communications infrastructure, providing consumers and small businesses with mechanisms to recognise and be recognised through calls and texts.

Research by Council of the Ageing (WA) has found that very few senior women are going online due to a lack of skills, anxiety about technology, cybercrime fears and problems with service providers. A research-based qualitative study supported by a grant from ACCAN, Where do I Start? Female Seniors and the Internet documents the experiences of 50 women in Western Australian, some who had used the internet before and some who had not.

Australian National University: School of Accounting and Business Information Systems

Project title: Competition and comparability in the consumer mobile telecommunications sector

Grant round: 2014

Grant: $30,806

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