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This week
IN THE NEWS: ACCAN launches new 3G shutdown tipsheet, Starlink to offer cheaper, speed capped product, and Telstra announce support for vulnerable, 3G shutdown-affected consumers
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Consumers have less than 10 weeks to ensure their devices and equipment will work after Telstra and Optus close their 3G network from August 31. Accessible Telecoms, a service run by ACCAN, has this week launched a new resource to help consumers check that their devices will work after the shutdown of 3G networks. You can find the resource on the ACCAN website (linked above). If you need assistance choosing a new device that meets your needs, contact the Accessible Telecoms team. [ACCAN]
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Starlink has revealed further details of an upcoming product, Starlink Mini, which is planned to launch in coming months. The dish is a smaller-form version of the standard Starlink hardware, and will be approximately the size of a MacBook. Speeds through the Starlink Mini will be capped at 100 Mbps, but will retain low latency advantages of the standard product. Starlink owner Elon Musk signalled on X that the upfront cost of the new dish and ongoing monthly prices will be approximately half that of the standard. If this holds true, Australian consumers could expect to pay $250-300 for a Mini dish, and around $70 per month for a speed capped service. [PCMag]
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Telstra has announced that they will be assisting customers who are in difficult situations, in regional areas or are elderly by providing 12,000 free mobile handsets. ACCAN welcomes this first step from Telstra to assist consumers and looks forward to seeing this assistance reach the many consumers who need it most. With the 3G shutdown to impact hundreds of thousands of consumers, we call on industry to continue to communicate with affected consumers to ensure a safe transition, and continue to identify further opportunities to support vulnerable and low income consumers through the process. [Telstra]
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This SBS article prepares you to deal with the emerging and sophisticated scams that are around this tax season. Phishing phone calls, emails and text messages remain the most common type of scam, and despite high confidence from consumers that they can spot a fake, many still fall for fraudulent messages. Key advice is to never click on links within unsolicited emails or SMS, never provide passwords or personal data over the phone, and only log in using official websites (found directly via your browser) or apps. [SBS]
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Consumer group CHOICE has released research surveying customer satisfaction with Australian telcos. Overall satisfaction was highest among customers of mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs), with Amaysim coming out first overall. Customer opinion was sought regarding network reliability, network coverage and value for money. MVNOs ranked particularly highly on the question of value for money. You can find the full results at the CHOICE website linked above. [CHOICE]
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Symbio Wholesale and Symbio Networks has been directed to comply with phone scam rules after breaching information sharing and reporting obligations. Both companies had failed to accurately report the number of scam calls they blocked between April and June 2023. Telcos who do not comply with ACMA directions face penalties of up to $250,000. [ACMA]
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Telstra has been slammed by South Australian Aboriginal health services and regional councils heavily affected by a nationwide data outage. The outage affected some businesses ‘using a CSX cloud service product’, with some unable to use various phone, email and electronic systems since the start of June. Telstra has apologised for the outage and stressed that the underlying problem was “complex” to resolve. Services were progressively restored from the beginning of this week. [ABC]
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Optus has repaid leave entitlements totalling $218,000 following an investigation by Wage Inspectorate Victoria. In a lapse affecting 550 current or former employees, Optus’s enterprise agreement was non-compliant with Victorian long service leave laws, leading to underpayment of full entitlements. Individual underpayments ranged from $652 to $1891. The telco was fined $13,000 and ordered to pay $15,000 in costs. [Victorian Government]
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The Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee (RTIRC) is currently holding consultations around the country, providing an opportunity for people living and working in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia to share their views and experiences using telecommunications services in their area. From 17-19 June, the RTIRC will be in Mount Isa, Mornington Island, Cairns and Thursday Island. You can register for these events and view July events for South Australia via the link above. [RTIRC]
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The National Office of Cyber Security is reminding consumers to act now to stay secure online. There are several simple steps you can follow to ensure you stay protected. Set up multi-factor authentication, regularly install software updates and create strong and unique passwords to bolster your online safety. [National Office of Cyber Security]
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Although we take care to direct subscribers to sites with accurate and reliable content, we advise that ACCAN is not responsible for the content within external sites and has no control over the views, services or information contained therein. Information contained on external sites may not necessarily reflect ACCAN's policy, standards or beliefs. The information contained in or attached to this message is intended only for the people it is addressed to. If you are not the intended recipient, any use, disclosure or copying of this information is unauthorised and prohibited. This information may be confidential or subject to legal privilege. If you receive this e-mail in error, please notify the sender immediately and delete the e-mail and any attachments. The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network does not warrant that the information in this e-mail or any attachments are free from any viruses, defects, errors, interception or interference.
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