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In April, some members of the Regional, Rural and Remote Communications Coalition had their say on issues relating to the NBN rollout at public hearings in front of the Joint Parliamentary Standing Committee on the National Broadband Network.
This blog summarises the issues highlighted by AgForce Queensland, Better Internet for Rural, Regional & Remote Australia (BIRRR) and ACCAN at these hearings. Transcripts for the hearings and submissions to the Committee are available online.
Read more: Bush Coalition members outline NBN concerns
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Recently ACCAN has heard increasing reports about fraudulent mobile number porting and identity theft.
What is a mobile number porting scam?
Fraudulent mobile number porting happens when a scammer uses your personal details to port your mobile number from one provider to another. Scammers can get access to your personal details, such as your date of birth, phone number and address, via your social media profiles.
Read more: Fraudulent mobile number porting and identity theft
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The first thing that you should do if you are struggling to pay a bill is contact your service provider so you can discuss your options. Your provider can set up a payment plan for you, and while this is in place they will not report your debt to a Credit Reporting Agency.
Below are the contact details for some of the main service providers.
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Centrelink Telephone Allowance
If you have a Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, you might be eligible for the Government’s Telephone Allowance, as included in the Pensioner Supplement or Seniors Supplement.
You can read more information about whether you can get the Centrelink Telephone Allowance by clicking here.
Telstra Pensioner Discount
The Telstra Pensioner Discount provides eligible pensioner customers with a monthly call discount on their Telstra home phone service.
If you are eligible for the discount, you can also get free access to Call Control, a waiver on late payment fees, and fee-free payment options.
You can register by calling Telstra on 13 2200.
Telstra Disability Equipment Program
This program provides Telstra customers with products that make calling easier for people with disability. These products include phones with larger buttons, visual alerts, cochlear implant adaptors, and teletypewriters (TTY). If you are eligible you can rent the equipment for the same price as a normal phone handset.
For more information:
- Visit Telstra’s disability services page.
- Call the Telstra Disability Enquiry Hotline (Mon – Fri 8am – 5pm EST) on
- 1800 068 424 (voice)
- 1800 808 981 (TTY).
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Centrelink Telephone Allowance
If you have a Pensioner Concession Card or Commonwealth Seniors Health Card, you might be eligible for the Government’s Telephone Allowance, as included in the Pensioner Supplement or Seniors Supplement.
You can read more information about whether you can get the Centrelink Telephone Allowance by clicking here.
Telstra Pensioner Discount
The Telstra Pensioner Discount provides eligible pensioner customers with a monthly call discount on their Telstra home phone service.
If you are eligible for the discount, you can also get free access to Call Control, a waiver on late payment fees, and fee-free payment options.
You can register by calling Telstra on 13 2200.
Telstra Home Phone Essential package
The Telstra Home Phone Essential package is a cheaper home phone plan for eligible Telstra customers.
To be eligible you must hold an eligible Health Care Card or Pension Concession Card.
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If you are a Telstra customer you might benefit from the Telstra Access for Everyone Program.
The Access for Everyone program provides products and services to help people on a low income and people in financial hardship to stay connected to essential telecommunications services. Click on the link above to read more about what services and products might be available to you.
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You might be eligible to receive the Centrelink Telephone Allowance to help you pay for your phone and internet connection.
If you are eligible you can receive a payment from the Government of either $28.20 or $42.00 every three months.
You can read more information about whether you can get the Centrelink Telephone Allowance by clicking here.
How can I claim the Centrelink Telephone Allowance?
If the Centrelink Telephone Allowance is not already paid to you as a part of your Centrelink payments, and you would like to receive it, or if you are unsure whether you are eligible, you should contact Centrelink.
You can contact Centrelink:
- By phone (click to find the relevant phone number for you)
- By writing, emailing, or sending a fax (click for addresses and fax number)
- Or by visiting a Centrelink office. You can find the closest one to you on this page.
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Contacting a financial counsellor
Call a financial counsellor for free on 1800 007 007
For more helpful information visit the website for Financial Counselling Australia’s National Debt Helpline.
How talking to a financial counsellor can help you
If you're having difficulty paying your bills, you can call a financial counsellor. Their services are free and confidential.
They can help you figure out:
- how to organise your money
- how to pay your bills
- how to get the support you need.
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Experiencing Financial Hardship
Welcome to ACCAN’s financial hardship portal. Here you can find useful information about what you can do if you are struggling to pay your bills.
Financial hardship happens when you are unable to meet repayment obligations for services that you’re using.
Since the introduction of the Financial Hardship Standard in March 2024, telcos must provide short term assistance to customers - and cannot ask for proof until a certain time has passed. For more information, consult ACCAN's Quick Guide to Financial Hardship Standard.
If you find yourself unable to pay a bill you will need to tell your service provider that you are experiencing financial hardship so that they can help you.
You can also talk to a financial counsellor for free and anonymous help.
Visit ‘How Can I Get Help’ to see the contact details for your service provider, and for more information about financial counsellors.
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The summary below outlines ACCAN's activities from 1 December 2016 to 28 February 2017.
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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