The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) welcomes the ACCC’s draft decision to not declare a wholesale domestic mobile roaming service. In its submission to the ACCC Inquiry, ACCAN questioned whether regulated domestic roaming would result in better mobile coverage and improved competition in regional, rural and remote areas. ACCAN notes the ACCC’s finding that there is insufficient evidence that declaring domestic mobile roaming would lower prices for rural and regional consumers.

“ACCAN is a strong advocate for better mobile coverage and improved competition in regional and rural areas,” said ACCAN CEO, Teresa Corbin. “Consumers and small businesses in regional, rural and remote areas want additional coverage where they live, work and travel. It’s unclear whether declaring domestic mobile roaming would achieve this.

Read more: ACCAN supports ACCC draft decision to not declare domestic mobile roaming

ACCAN recently made a submission to the Attorney-General’s second round consultation on Australia’s Privacy Act(1988). The discussion paper made a number of proposals developed in consideration of the feedback to the first round of consultation in late 2020. ACCAN had made a comprehensive submission to this first round, and we were pleased to see that many of the proposals put forward in the second round positively reflected our positions.

These included clarification and an expansion to the definition of Personal Information; a requirement that privacy notices must be clear, current, and understandable; and an inclusion in the Act that Consent be defined as voluntary, informed, current, specific, and an unambiguous indication through clear action.

Download: ACCAN Privacy Act Submission January 2022

Download: ACCAN Privacy Act Submission January 2022.pdf379.62 KB

The ACCAN Annual General Meeting was held in Sydney on Thursday, 15 September, 2016. At the meeting the following three candidates were elected to the Board:

• Sarah Wilson
• Dean Barton-Smith
• Nadia Moffatt
  
  

Congratulations to returning director, Dean, and a warm welcome to Sarah and Nadia who are joining the ACCAN Board for the first time.

Read more: Results of ACCAN Board Election

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) appeared before the Joint Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network in Melbourne today to highlight the need for service standards and to present solutions to problems faced by consumers in the NBN rollout.

“It is fair to say that for a number of consumers the rollout has not been seamless,” said ACCAN CEO, Teresa Corbin. “The NBN is a large project that affects most Australians. The problems faced by consumers have been wide ranging from confusion and misconceptions about what NBN is, to overcoming difficulties in getting and using services.

“To ensure services meet consumer needs, both in the medium and long term, access to a network needs to be guaranteed in legislation. The service and underlying network also need to meet customer service standards. The responsibilities for the network provider and the retailers need to be clear. This would help to stop the finger pointing about who is to blame when services are not working and get resolutions more quickly for consumers.”

Read more: ACCAN highlights need for service standards to Joint Standing Committee on NBN

ACCAN has recently submitted to the telco regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), about renewing regulations that require Telstra to record and share information about their payphone services with the ACMA. ACCAN supported the remaking of the Record Keeping Rules. In addition, we argued that records about payphone performance should be routinely audited, and payphone performance information should be publicly available.

Read more: Telecommunications (Payphone Performance Benchmarks) Record-Keeping Rules 2012

If your broadband speeds are consistently lower than those advertised by your internet service provider (ISP) or is unreliable at any time during the day, you should contact your provider and clearly state that you want to make a complaint.

Explain how your internet is slow or unreliable. Evidence, such as recorded speed tests (many IPSs offer this on their website, or you can try other online speed tests such as Ookla’s Speedtest) or examples of times when you are unable or have difficulty using the service.

Read more: How to make a complaint about slow broadband speeds

The Regional, Rural and Remote Communications Coalition (RRRCC) has welcomed a new broadband performance monitoring program to be administered by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).

Announced last Friday, the program will see Australian consumers receive independent information about broadband speeds based on feedback from remote testing at more than 4000 households.

“This is a welcome measure and we congratulate the Australian Government on the initiative," Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) CEO, Teresa Corbin said.

“The top complaint about internet services to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) is in relation to faulty services and slow speeds, indicating there is a gap between consumer expectations of how their services will perform, and actual performance.

Read more: Broadband speed report card welcomed by bush communications coalition

ACCAN recently submitted to the telco regulator, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), on regulations that allow the ACMA to issue infringement notices (fines) when telcos don’t follow certain rules. ACCAN’s submission supported the remaking of the rules, and suggested changes to improve consumer safeguards and the way in which infringement notices are issued.

Read more: Telecommunications (Listed Infringement Notice Provisions) Declaration 2011

“We hear you and we want to help” was the majority message from politicians in Canberra this week when they met with the Regional, Rural & Remote Communications Coalition.

The Coalition met with more than 50 members of parliament over two days with the aim of highlighting the plight of telecommunications in the bush.

National Farmers' Federation President, Fiona Simson, said it was heartening that politicians understood the perils of an inability to access affordable and reliable telecommunications however action was what was needed now.

"Actions speak louder than words. Consensus by all politicians that this is a vital issue is yet another validation that now is the time for action towards solving the great #datadrought," Ms Simson said.

Read more: Bush telecoms group tells Canberra it’s time for action

ACCAN is seeking nominations for Directors to fill three (3) vacancies on its Board.

In accordance with the ACCAN Constitution, the 2017-2018 ACCAN Board will consist of nine (9) members¹. Six (6) positions are continuing Directors from the 2016-2017 Board. Three (3) Directors are retiring from the Board but may be eligible for re-election as stated in the ACCAN Constitution.

In accordance with the ACCAN Constitution Board members are elected for a three year term.

Read more: Call for nominations for the ACCAN Board

ACCAN has recently outlined our views on priorities that need to be addressed in the Federal Government’s upcoming 2022-2023 Budget. Our Pre-Budget Submission for 2022-2023 identifies a need for Federal investment in issues relating to the affordability, availability, reliability, and accessibility of communications goods and services.

Read more: ACCAN Pre-Budget Submission 2022-2023

Similar to the ACCC’s consultation on broadband speed claims, regulators in other countries are trying to ensure that ISPs deliver on their broadband speed claims.

In the UK, the regulator is considering forcing broadband and mobile operators to pay automatic compensation to customers when services fail or when they are suffering slow speeds.

Read more: Broadband speed claims – what's happening overseas?

Key telecommunication consumer and social welfare groups today called on the Productivity Commission to consider more fully affordability issues in the Inquiry on the Telecommunications Universal Service Obligation (USO). The national peak body for communications consumers, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN), backed the submission from the South Australian Council of Social Service (SACOSS) to the Inquiry. SACOSS argues that the Commission’s Draft Report and recommendations underestimate the challenges faced by many Australian households in paying for telecommunications. The Draft Report proposes incorporating broadband as a baseline universal service, but largely dismisses telecommunications affordability issues as limited in scope and relevance. SACOSS is highlighting these issues to the Productivity Commission at a public hearing for the Inquiry today.

“The Universal Service Obligation is a crucial element in ensuring that all Australians have access to modern communications which are necessary for commerce, education, social inclusion and dealing with government,” said ACCAN CEO, Teresa Corbin. “Affordable services must be a big part of that equation so that all consumers can access the benefits offered by being connected to the internet.

Read more: Productivity Commission needs to take affordability seriously in current telecommunications Inquiry

ACCAN’s Indigenous Steering Committee recently submitted to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Indigenous Affairs’ Inquiry into how the corporate sector establishes models of best practice to foster better engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander consumers. The Chair of ACCAN’s Indigenous Steering Committee, Dr Heron Loban, and ACCAN’s Director of Policy, Una Lawrence, subsequently appeared at one of the Inquiry’s public hearings to expand on comments made in the submission.

Read more: ACCAN submission to House of Reps Indigenous Affairs committee

New website gives consumers a head start in 3D printing

The number of users connecting to each other on the internet to find, share, and create 3D printed objects has proliferated in the last few years. But what do consumers need to know before printing in 3D?

Read more: Can I download a car?

In its Pre-Budget Submission for the 2017-18 Budget, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has urged the Federal Government to allocate funding to telecommunications initiatives that will benefit consumers. ACCAN’s recommendations include ongoing funding for the Mobile Black Spot Program, ongoing funding to ensure that the Universal Service Obligation (USO) continues until new safeguards and programs are in place and funding for a broadband performance monitoring program.

“The Mobile Black Spot Program is delivering new or improved coverage for many areas across the country,” said ACCAN CEO, Teresa Corbin. “The first two rounds of the Program will fund more than 750 new or upgraded mobile base stations, but there are many more mobile black spots that need funding, which is why we’re calling for ongoing funding for the Program in our Pre-Budget Submission.”

Read more: ACCAN urges Government to allocate budget funds to mobile expansion, USO and broadband monitoring

ACCAN has recently made a submission to the House Select Committee on Social media and Online Safety.

In our submission we acknowledged the need for greater community protections from unwanted and unexpected harms resulting from Australian’s growing use of digital platforms. We highlighted the need for strong community representation in policy decisions relating to digital platforms.

Our November 2021 Digital Platforms research informed our position and our recommendations for the Committee’s consideration.

Read more: House Select Committee on Social media and Online Safety

The full program for the ACCANect Conference is now available online.

Like previous years, the Conference has attracted a high calibre of speakers and panellists including: the new Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, Judi Jones, the new Disability Commissioner, Alastair McEwin, the new Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman, Kate Carnell, as well as consumer representatives such as CHOICE and Consumer Affairs Victoria.

Read more: ACCANect Conference speakers and panellists revealed

The Regional, Rural and Remote Communications Coalition is concerned reliable home phone services in the bush may be soon put at risk under proposed changes to the Universal Service Obligation (USO).

Members of the Coalition have today appeared at the Productivity Commission’s inquiry into the USO in Sydney.

As part of the Inquiry, the Productivity Commission is examining the possibility of changing how voice services are delivered, so that the NBN network is primarily used to deliver voice services. This could affect rural and remote consumers who are using the nbn Sky Muster satellite and have little to no access to mobile services. Effectively this could mean future voice services for rural and remote Australians could be delivered via satellite.

“While we acknowledge the logic in transitioning to more modern infrastructure, this does not escape the fact that in rural and remote areas a majority of users would be serviced via satellite which does not provide the same reliability or performance to what is currently available,” said Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) CEO, Teresa Corbin.

Read more: #datadrought Coalition comes out in force in support of maintaining landline services

The Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee recently sought feedback on the Telstra Corporation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2021. This Bill proposed amendments to different pieces of legislation to ensure that key regulatory obligations continue to apply to Telstra after its restructure.

In our response to this inquiry, ACCAN welcomed the Bill as it ensures that important consumer safeguards that currently apply to Telstra will continue to apply to the restructured Telstra companies. This includes things like the Universal Service Obligation, Consumer Service Guarantee and Network Reliability Framework arrangements, and Telstra’s obligation to provide Priority Assistance.

Read more: Telstra Corporation and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2021

Increasingly providers are advertising and pricing broadband plans based on speed; stating exact speeds that they can provide such as up to ‘12/1Mbps’, ‘25/5Mbps’ or ‘100/40Mbps.’ They are also using terms and price tiers that imply faster speed levels such as ‘high speed internet’, ‘super boost’, ‘lightning fast’, ‘superfast’ or ‘max speed.’

ACCAN is concerned that consumers are negatively affected by the lack of clarity about what these claims mean. The ACCC has raised concerns regarding consumer information about broadband and says these speed claims and terms “might misrepresent the speeds that the retail broadband service can consistently achieve, especially during peak periods”.

Read more: Have your say on broadband speed claims

The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) will tomorrow appear before the Productivity Commission at a public hearing in Sydney to voice concerns about its Draft Inquiry Report on the Universal Service Obligation (USO).

The USO underpins consumers’ access to phone services, including payphones. While many may have never heard about the USO, it is an important obligation that aims to ensure voice services are available and accessible to all Australians.

“Unfortunately, the USO is stuck in the past and is not relevant for all the services that consumers need these days, including broadband – something which we are thankful the Productivity Commission has recognised,” said ACCAN CEO, Teresa Corbin. “However, the direction that the Commission is advising may put some consumers at risk of a reduced service level, and being isolated from society and the community.”

Phone and internet are essential services which should be available to all consumers. The mechanism to deliver these services needs to be reformed to ensure that it is independently accountable and transparent. Many consumer rights and protections hang off of the USO, so it is vital that the frame work which establishes the baseline services is solid.

Read more: ACCAN voices concerns on communication services

The superfast broadband access service (SBAS) is a declared wholesale access service that Retail Service Providers (RSPs) can use to supply fixed line superfast broadband services to end users. In July 2021, the ACCC extended the SBAS declaration to regulate non-NBN fixed line superfast broadband services until July 2026. This means that RSPs have the right to access the SBAS. The ACCC is now holding an inquiry regarding the terms and conditions relating to access of this service.

In our response to the ACCC’s discussion paper, we recommended that:

Read more: Superfast broadband access service – access determination inquiry discussion paper

Accurate and comprehensible captions on broadcast television provide a better viewing experience for many people.

Captions are an essential service for people who are Deaf or hearing-impaired. They also assist young children and people learning English, provide additional information for people with cognitive impairments and allow many people who are in noisy environments to know what is being said on TV.

Read more: More captioning needed on Australian TV