Media Releases

ACCAN's work informs public debate about consumer issues in the communications landscape.  Welcome to our collection of the latest news and current affairs that impact communications consumers. 

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Any agreement between Telstra and the NBN Co must be exposed to public scrutiny and doesn’t remove the need for the structural separation of Telstra, said ACCAN, Australia’s peak communications consumer organisation.

ACCAN CEO Allan Asher said the whole country had a stake in the future of the broadband network.
“The community has lost its confidence in Telstra, so an agreement that isn’t explicit, that doesn’t tie Telstra into definite time frames and that doesn’t have a clear schedule for reducing Telstra market dominance, won’t be accepted by the community.

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ACCAN, Australia’s peak communications consumer organisation congratulated the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) on its second successful outcome against unsolicited SMS with the Federal Court yesterday imposing a further $6.5 million in penalties against spammers.

“It is only through strong and decisive action such as ACMA’s to use the full extent of its authority and power that consumers can be assured their rights will be protected,” CEO of ACCAN, Allan Asher said.

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ACCAN has a new a chair, Sue Salthouse was elected to the position at a recent ACCAN board meeting at which Kate Locke was elected Deputy Chair, Len Bytheway, Treasurer and Nan Bosler, Secretary.

New Chair, Sue Salthouse has been a member of the ACCAN Board since its inception and was also a member of the working group that formed the organisation.

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ACCAN has called for accessibility measures to be built into the federal government’s online platforms, interactive web sites and its information technology procurement policy.

ACCAN made the call as the federal government released its Access to Electronic Media for the Hearing and Vision Impaired: Approaches for Consideration discussion report which seeks public consultation to improve access to electronic media for people with hearing and vision impairments.

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ACCAN today welcomed five new members to its Board. Professor Michael Fraser, Dr Ross Kelso, Ms Heron Loban, Ms Kate Locke and Ms Su Robertson were elected at ACCAN’s Annual General Meeting yesterday.

“I am confident the new members of the Board will provide insightful direction and effective strategic guidance and stewardship in steering the organisation in its role of strong advocate for communications consumers,” Allan Asher, CEO of ACCAN said.

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ACCAN, the communications watchdog, today welcomed the decision by Telstra to reverse its policy of charging customers who pay bill over-the-counter a $2.20 fee.

ACCAN launched a campaign highlighting the unfairness of the charge, calling on Telstra instead to offer incentives for those paying by lower cost methods rather than penalising its traditional customer base.

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ACCAN provides a strong unified voice to industry and government as consumers work towards availability, accessibility and affordability of communications services for all Australians. To ensure that we are representative of all consumers, the ACCAN Board has established two Standing Advisory Committees including the Standing Advisory Committee on Consumer Affairs (SACCA) and the Standing Advisory Committee Disability Issues (SACDI).

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The Federal Court’s decision on Friday to impose a total of $15.75 million penalties for contraventions of the Spam Act 2003 is a significant victory for communications consumers, said ACCAN, Australia’s peak communications consumer organisation.

Allan Asher, CEO of ACCAN, congratulated the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) on taking a strong stance in its first court action against unsolicited SMS messages.

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National telecommunications watchdog, ACCAN is calling for the introduction of a consumer compensation payment for consumers who have experienced the hassle and inconvenience of using the TIO to resolve basic disputes.

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Broadband pricing should be monitored to ensure that consumers do not pay more for services under the transition to the National Broadband Network, according to the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network.

The telecommunications watchdog made the recommendation to the Senate Inquiry into the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Consumer and Competition Safeguards) Bill 2009, in Melbourne today.

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One third of consumers have fallen victim to Cybercrime or Personal Identity theft, according to the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN).

New research into consumer awareness of E-security was presented today at the Inquiry into Cybercrime, highlighting the need for a more co-ordinated, rigorous approach to E-security measures for Australian consumers.

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Peak consumer advocacy group ACCAN says the woeful state of the telecommunications industry, with its sky-high customer service and complaint handling problems, could be greatly improved if regulators and government put consumer rights at the centre of communications policy.