Hot Issues
Welcome to the latest current affairs that impact communications consumers.
Sign up for ACCAN's weekly newsletter to have these news items sent to your email address each week.
[ List view | Detailed view ]
- Details
ACCAN has today released new Grants Guidelines ahead of the opening of the 2012 Round of the ACCAN Grants Scheme on Monday 20th February.
Read more: 2012 Round of ACCAN Grants Scheme opens 20 February
Write comment (0 Comments)- Details
ACCAN is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its Standing Advisory Committees, Ms Karin Ness and Ms Catherine Clark. ACCAN has two Standing Advisory Committees: the Standing Advisory Committee on Consumer Affairs (SACCA), and Standing Advisory Committee on Disability Issues (SACDI). The Committees' members provide guidance and expertise on current and emerging communications issues affecting consumers.
Read more: ACCAN Standing Advisory Committee members announced
Write comment (1 Comment)- Details
Peak consumer body ACCAN says current and ex Vodafone customers will be left shaking their heads today when they discover that, 12 months on, the telecommunications regulator has let the provider off virtually scot-free for the widespread network, complaint-handling problems that plagued Vodafone customers last summer.
Read more: ACMA’s response to Vodafail reveals deep flaws in co-regulatory model
Write comment (0 Comments)- Details
The ACMA Communications Report 2010-11 was released today. This major piece of research provides a snapshot of the communications services available and the preferences of Australian consumers. Here’s some key statistics that may be of interest to ACCAN members:
Read more: Communications in 2010-11
Write comment (0 Comments)- Details
ACCAN Chief Executive Teresa Corbin and Senior Policy Adviser Jonathan Gadir have given evidence in front of the Joint Committee: National Broadband Network (Rollout of the National Broadband Network) in Sydney this morning. They discussed the need for low-income broadband affordability measures, voice-only services and the demand for consumers for independent information about the NBN.
Earlier this year ACCAN published a NBN: Guide for Consumers, which Corbin says has been very much in demand. ACCAN says it looks forward to the establishment of a Consumer Advisory Panel within NBN Co, to meet quarterly to discuss issues that are of concern to consumers.
Write comment (0 Comments)- Details
Once every three years the Department of Broadband, Communications & the Digital Economy (DBCDE) undertakes a Regional Telecommunications Review, which considers whether people in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia have equitable access to telecommunications.
If your organisation is based in regional Australia, or you live in regional Australia, we’d love to hear your views via this short survey by 4 November 2011.
Read more: Have your say: Regional Telecommunications Review
Write comment (1 Comment)- Details
ACCAN Chief Executive Officer, Teresa Corbin, delivered an address to the telecommunications industry at the CommsDay Congress in Melbourne on Wednesday 12th October. Her speech covered a range of subjects, including the history of consumer representation in telecommunications and its funding arrangements, an outline of the work ACCAN does, and why consumer representation in this area remains so vital.
Read more: ACCAN Chief Executive addresses industry at CommsDay Congress
Write comment (0 Comments)- Details
In establishing ACCAN in 2009, the government committed to conduct a review of ACCAN's performance after two years of operation. Having now reached that point, the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) is keen to hear your views.
Read more: ACCAN mid-term review
Write comment (0 Comments)- Details
Use social media? Have a disability?
If you do, then ACCAN and Media Access Australia (MAA) would like to hear from you.
Read more: Use social media? Have a disability? Share your tips and tricks
Write comment (0 Comments)- Details
Congratulations to ACCAN's own Wayne Hawkins, who won a prestigious award at the 2011 Deafness Forum Captioning Awards held in Sydney last night.
Wayne was awarded the Roma Wood OAM Community Award for his contribution to changes that will see captioning quality standards enshrined in legislation. This is a great win, not only for ACCAN, but for all Australians who are Deaf or hearing-impaired, people who use captions in noisy environments, to learn English, or for any of the many reasons that captioning is in demand.
Read more: Wayne Hawkins honoured with Deafness Forum Community Award
Write comment (0 Comments)- Details
The global organisation representing consumer groups, Consumers International, is asking Australians to be part of their project aimed at holding internet service providers to account. You can help by taking part in the 10-minute online survey so we can see how Australia compares to the rest of the world for broadband services.
Read more: Tell the world about your broadband service
Write comment (0 Comments)- Details
Senator Stephen Conroy has today released the details of the Federal Government’s Review of Access to Telecommunications Services by People with Disability, Older Australians and People Experiencing Illness.
Read more: Telecommunications access for PWD, older Australians under review
Write comment (0 Comments)