 |
This week
IN THE NEWS: ACCAN Board nominations opening soon, ACCAN Membership renewal underway, and SMH editorial argues for scam reimbursement
|
|
ACCAN’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) is fast approaching! Board nominations will open on 12 August and close 27 August. Individuals and organisations must be a financial member to be eligible to nominate themselves or a representative for the ACCAN Board and to vote. Formal notification of the AGM and Call for Nominations will be sent out in the coming weeks. Act now to ensure your membership is current. [ACCAN]
|
|
ACCAN members will have recently received renewal notices by email. Thank you to all members for your continued support of ACCAN and its work for communications consumers. If you are not yet a member - an ACCAN Membership gives you access to informative and educative resources, ACCAN events, and frequent Advisory Forums. Please contact our membership team should you have any questions. [ACCAN]
|
|
Last Saturday the Sydney Morning Herald issued an editorial encouraging policymakers to consider UK-style rules which guarantee reimbursement for victims of scams. According to the paper, banks and other payment providers are well placed to identify signs of scams which are growing increasingly sophisticated. Consumer groups including ACCAN have been advocating for mandatory reimbursement for scam victims for some time. We are glad to see growing recognition of the need for reform, including in the Herald. [SMH]
|
|
The CrowdStrike outage which impacted businesses around the globe on Friday and through the weekend appears not to have greatly impacted core telecommunications services, reports suggest. Triple Zero services and regular calls and texts were largely unaffected, as confirmed by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland on Friday. ACCAN has heard that the National Relay Service was unavailable for some time, but that services were restored over the weekend. In the wake of the outage, the government is warning consumers to be wary of SMS or emails urging users to upgrade or download new software. [SBS]
|
|
The ACMA has issued formal warnings to 10 telcos for non-compliance with new consumer protections rules introduced through the Financial Hardship Standard in March this year. These protections were introduced after the ACMA found that many Australian consumers faced financial difficulties relating to their telco bill in 2023. Providers must comply with these crucial financial hardship rules. ACCAN welcomes this action by the ACMA to hold accountable the telcos who haven't kept up. To find out more about what the Financial Hardship Standard means for you, see this quick guide from ACCAN.[ACMA]
|
|
This article from the Guardian answers many of the key questions you may have about the impending shutdown of 3G networks. Telstra will be closing their 3G networks on 31 August, with Optus to follow in September. The article raises particular concerns about internet-of-things devices, such as security systems, monitoring and medical devices, which business groups fear some consumers are not aware need to be upgraded. [The Guardian]
|
|
ACCAN had the pleasure of attending the Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association (ICPA) Federal Conference in Sydney from 24-25 July. It was a great opportunity to hear from an excellent line-up of speakers and learn from ICPA members about key communications issues their communities are facing. The conference carried important resolutions in relation to internet access, mobile coverage and telephone access. [ICPA]
|
|
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has launched a new report into barriers to effective dispute resolution. According to the TIO, 55% of consumers had encountered at least one challenge with their telco, and nearly 75% had faced some form of financial or non-financial difficulty in the last year. The Ombudsman also announced the formation of a Telco Accessibility Taskforce to improve the accessibility of the telco industry. [TIO]
|
|
Optus has launched a free week-long trial of its mobile services, letting consumers ‘try before they buy’, with no payment information or commitment necessary. People who are not current Optus customers can access 30GB of data, texts, if their phone is eSIM compatible. You cannot port your phone number during the free week, and instead must use a new number for the duration. The trial can be accessed through the Optus app. [WhistleOut]
|
|
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. The RTIRC will be in South Australia (Kangaroo Island, Whyalla) on 26 July, regional NSW (Braidwood, Cooma) from 9-10 August and the Northern Territory from 11-13 September. You can register for these upcoming events and/or submit your views via a simple survey, via the link above. [RTIRC]
|
|
|
|
WebNews #667
Unsubscribe
from this mailing
click here
|
|
Tel: (02) 9288 4000
Email: media@accan.org.au
Web: accan.org.au
Twitter: @accan_au
Facebook.com/accanau
LinkedIn: accan.org.au/LinkedIn
If you are Deaf, or have a hearing impairment or speech impairment, you can contact us on 02 9288 4000 through your preferred National Relay Service call number or access point.
|
| |
|
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.
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network's representation of residential and other consumers' interests in relation to telecommunications issues is supported by the Commonwealth through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
|
|
|
