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This week
IN THE NEWS: Albanese Government acts to disrupt illegal text message scams, 'We're sorry': Telstra apologises for 'brief' mobile data outage and more
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Almost half of all Australians have been scammed, deceived or exposed to a fake text message – just in the last year alone. In 2022, Australians lost an estimated $3.1 billion dollars to scams. It’s an alarming rise that is having a devastating impact on people. This is why the Albanese Government is delivering on its commitment to disrupt these illegal text message scams, by establishing a SMS sender ID Registry through the 2023-24 Budget. [Minister Rowland media release]
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Telstra has issued an apology for a "brief" outage that prevented some of its mobile customers from being able to access the internet earlier today. Around lunchtime on Wednesday, users began reporting issues with their mobile data on the telecommunications giant's network. [Nine news]
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A class action against Optus involving 100,000 customers impacted by last year’s data hack was lodged in the Federal Court on Friday. It could be one of the biggest – and most valuable – class action cases in Australian legal history, according to experts. [The New Daily]
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When Sarah Kay realised she had been scammed out of $25,000, her reaction was physical. At the age of 30, Sarah had scrimped and saved working as a teacher to buy her first home in Perth, and the scam immediately gutted her hard-earned savings buffer. [ABC news]
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A trial at a NBN fixed wireless site near the Victorian city of Geelong indicates wind power potential to help communities and emergency stay connected to the NBN network during emergencies. The proof-of-concept trial began in January. It uses three micro wind turbines to assess wind as an alternative renewable energy solution to help extend the battery life of NBN’s temporary network infrastructure. [iTWire]
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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has found Channel Seven Melbourne Pty Ltd in breach of the captioning rules for a broadcast of 7NEWS Breaking News in June 2021. An ACMA investigation found captions for the broadcast, which involved a Victorian Government press conference relating to COVID-19 and wild weather events in Victoria, had accuracy and comprehensibility issues which did not meet requirements under the Broadcasting Services Television Captioning Standard 2013. [ACMA news article]
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The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) today released a thematic review on financial hardship complaints. The review shows between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2023, the TIO received over 3,000 complaints from consumers experiencing financial hardship. [TIO media release]
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ACCAN in Perth for the WACOSS conference next week
Representatives from ACCAN will travel to Perth on Monday May 1 for the 2023 Western Australian Council Of Social Service Conference. If you are planning on attending the conference, make sure to look for us during the networking opportunities. We will be there From Monday to Wednesday and hope to hear how things are tracking in your communities on issues of communications. We hope to see you there. [ACCAN]
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When we were making updates to our house a year or so ago, my family decided to go a bit techy with it. The lights can now be controlled from a switch like normal, but also through an app which connects to a voice-activated smart speaker. It's fun — but it turns out it's more than just a fun party trick. I use it all the time. [ABC news]
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NBN Co has announced that the rollout of its national fibre upgrades will enable NBN's delivery partners to provide more than 1,000 new job opportunities in metropolitan and regional areas across Australia over the next two-and-a-half years. The company also estimates that the Australian Government’s $2.4 billion investment could generate a GDP uplift of up to $20 billion by 2030. [NBN Co media statement]
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