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IN THE NEWS: 3G shutdown delayed until October, CHOICE survey finds customer service worsening, and free internet for families – do you qualify?
MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO: In leading news this week, the 3G shutdown has been delayed until 28 October following concerns set out by ACCAN and community & health organisations, and strong recommendations from a Senate Committee. We welcomed the postponement of the shutdown and the announcement of a large-scale public awareness campaign from the major telcos. Attention now turns to minimising safety risks and ensuring consumers are ready for a post-3G environment.
Consumer group CHOICE has also released research into customer service experiences. It will come as little surprise to readers that things seem to be getting worse. CHOICE is now calling on the government to introduce customer service standards to improve the consumer experience.
In addition, I encourage you to consider whether you or someone you know may qualify for the School Student Broadband Initiative. Eligible families can receive free broadband through to the end of 2025.
A reminder to our Members that nominations to join the ACCAN Board are now open, and set to close 27 August.
Carol Bennett
Chief Executive Officer
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In a significant joint statement, Telstra and Optus announced on Wednesday that they will delay the shutdown of their 3G networks until 28 October. In their statement, the telcos committed to running a joint public awareness campaign, which Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said would reach more than 90% of Australians. News of a delay comes after recommendations from a Senate Committee looking into the shutdown, which last week said that telcos should voluntarily delay the closure and, failing that, the Communications Minister should step in to force a delay. [ITNews]
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Consumer groups, including ACCAN, welcome 3G extension, but much is left to do
ACCAN welcomes the delay to the 3G shutdown. The day before the delay was announced, ACCAN issued a statement urging the Minister for Communications to intervene and use her discretionary powers to push back the shutdown date. We have heard from our members, community organisations and consumers that uncertainty and unpreparedness is too high ahead of the 3G shutdown. This is particularly the case for medical and safety devices as well as business continuity. The focus must be on ensuring Australians are prepared and will be safe after the shutdown. Significant safety risks exist due to poor understanding and information about medical and monitoring devices in particular. We look forward to advancing the public awareness campaign spearheaded by Optus and Telstra in the very near future. [ACCAN]
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New research from CHOICE has found that 85% of Australians believe customer service provided by businesses is getting worse, with 73% of people encountering a sub-par experience in the past year. Common complaints included extended wait times, issues remaining unresolved, and hard-to-find contact details. One example given in the article is of a consumer who was turned away from a telco's storefront and told to seek support via phone or online. CHOICE is calling on the government to implement customer service standards to improve business practices and the consumer experience. [CHOICE]
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Access to online learning at home is important for your children’s education. Having access to fast internet at home can also help children to improve their digital skills, learn how to safely use the internet, and participate in our modern digital world. The School Student Broadband Initiative is an Australian Government Program that offers free home Internet to families and carers that have a school age student at home. It has recently been extended until 31 December 2025. See if this program is for you or someone you know – learn more at the link above. [Anglicare]
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In annual results presented on Thursday morning, Telstra reported a 13% decline in profits, down to $1.78 billion. Telstra this year announced it would cut 2800 jobs as part of a cost-saving measure and, as this MSN article outlines, have dug up 17,000 tonnes of copper from their network which has been sold for $110 million. As mentioned in WebNews last week, major competitor Optus announced a $500 million loss for the year. [MSN]
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The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is pushing to bring Starlink under the internet activity record keeping rule (RKR) alongside other internet providers. The RKR gives the ACCC information about market share, number of users, access type, data download volumes across the major providers. Starlink, as a satellite internet provider based overseas, is not currently included as a reporting entity. [ITNews]
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ACCAN Deputy CEO Dr Gareth Downing has been appointed Chair of the Consumers’ Federation of Australia (CFA) following the departure of Gerard Brody, mentioned in last week’s WebNews. Gareth will continue as ACCAN Deputy CEO while taking on responsibilities as CFA Chair. Gareth first joined the CFA as an Executive Member in December 2023. ACCAN congratulates Gareth on his appointment, and looks forward to seeing the positive influence he’ll have as he works with the CFA executive team [CFA]
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The .au Domain (auDA) has announced a new Research and Development Grant, plus the return of its Community Grant Program for 2024! auDA is the administrator of the .au domain and an ACCAN member. Their Community Grant Program supports initiatives that drive digital inclusion and innovation. The program is open to not-for-profit organisations and research institutions registered with ACNC. The Community Grants Program will open 19 August and close 12 September. Learn more at the link above. [auDA]]
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ACCAN attends COTA NT Seniors Expo in Alice Springs
Elise Ackland from ACCAN’s Accessible Telecoms team had the pleasure of attending the Council on the Ageing (COTA) Seniors Expo in Alice Springs on 13 August. It was a great opportunity to talk to seniors, carers and family members of seniors about the broad range of telecoms issues they are facing. To talk to Accessible Telecoms about the assistance they have freely available for seniors and people with a disability, find their contact details here! [COTA]
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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. Please note, the survey and online submission process has now closed. The RTIRC will be in regional WA (Broome and Kununurra) from 21-22 August and the Northern Territory from 11-13 September. You can register for these upcoming events via the link above. [RTIRC]
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WebNews #670
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Tel: (02) 9288 4000
Email: media@accan.org.au
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3G shutdown delayed until October 28