TIO releases six month telco complaints report

This six month update provides key data on complaints from residential consumers and small businesses to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman for the period 1 July -31 December 2017. [TIO]

'National Relay Service will deliver what Australia needs’ pledges minister

Minister for Communications and the Arts, in response to an Australian Sign Language video question on the ABC’s Q & A program, pledged that Australians who are deaf, deafblind, hearing and/or speech impaired will have the service they need when the Government implements the next National Relay Service (NRS) contract. [Deaf Australia Inc.]

Data as currency: how the relationship between consumers and retailers online is changing in the digital market

Because data is currency, online platforms and retail websites should want to engage more fairly with their customers. Their custom not only fuels direct revenues by buying goods and services, but their data also enables the platforms to a) tailor offering and sell more than they would have otherwise managed and b) use the data to generate revenue streams by renting or selling the data gathered to aggregators. [Consumers International]

NBN Co targets industry with new ICT channel

Additional support for ICT consultants to help connect businesses to the nbn™ broadband access network. NBN has announced that they will be providing training and other support to ICT companies helping businesses in their switch to NBN. See media release attached. [ComputerWorld]

auDA chair says ex-directors referred to Vic Police

The feud within the ranks of the au Domain Administration, the body responsible for the Australian domain namespace, is likely to be fuelled up a notch by the claim made by chair Chris Leptos that the practices of several former auDA directors have been referred to the police in Victoria. [SMH]

Broadband for the Bush Forum

The Broadband for the Bush Alliance (B4BA) hosts an annual forum to address the issues of Internet connectivity in regional, rural and remote Australia. The 2018 forum will be held at Charles Darwin University, Darwin on 7-8th June 2018. It will be preceded by the Indigenous Focus Day on the 6th June, 2018. [Broadband for the Bush]

NBN Co pushes one million to faster speeds

The number of Australian homes and business connected to higher speed plans over the nbn broadband access network has more than doubled with new figures revealing more than one million people have upgraded their internet speeds in the last four months. [Business Insider]

IRCA, First Nations Peak Media Body

IRCA is proud to announce First Nations Media Australia as the new national peak body name for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander media, as voted by CONVERGE delegates. We are currently developing the plan for the new name transition and official launch. [IRCA]

Kogan makes NBN play

ASX listed online retailer Kogan.com announced today that it has begun offering NBN services. The company has an expanding portfolio including Kogan Retail, Kogan Marketplace, Kogan Mobile, Kogan Internet, Kogan Insurance, Kogan Health and Kogan Travel; and now Kogan.com is expanding its mobile phone partnership with Vodafone to create Kogan NBN. [Business Insider]

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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network's representation of residential and other consumers' interests in relation to telecommunications issues is made possible by funding provided by the Commonwealth of Australia under section 593 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. This funding is recovered from charges on telecommunications carriers.