Issue No 30: 9 November 2021
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Telco Complaints Reach Multi-Year Low
Communications Alliance welcomes the report by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman that complaints to the Ombudsman have gone down for the fourth quarter in a row.
The Ombudsman has recorded the lowest number of complaints for a quarter since numbers became available by quarter, in 2017.
Complaints have reached – at minimum – a four-year low. Complaint volumes fell by 37 per cent compared to the same period in 2020.
Communications Alliance CEO John Stanton said, “This is a result of hard work by telcos to provide better customer service. Telcos have worked on improving their processes, so problems don’t arise in the first place, and on helping customers more quickly if there is an issue, so the customer doesn’t need to approach the Ombudsman for assistance.”
“Australia’s telecommunications industry is providing excellent connection for good value, and consumers are well served by the Industry’s Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code, enforced by the regulator.”“We know there have been some concerns about rising rates of complaints from small businesses, but it was very pleasing to see that complaints from small businesses fell almost 27 per cent during the latest quarter. We will continue monitoring this area to see if there are any further actions that need to be taken to support small businesses.”
Communications Alliance Welcomes ACMA Focus on Improvement
Communications Alliance has provided a submission to the ACMA’s draft performance assessment against the Regulator Performance Framework. Industry welcomed the ACMA’s willingness to collaborate through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and acknowledged positive work on the Radiocommunications Act 1992, among other activities. While Communications Alliance offers some suggestions in the submission on how the ACMA could better achieve its KPIs, in particular through additional communication with regulated entities and a focus on improving the regulatory framework, it also recognises that the ACMA is continually working to improve.
Continued Work on the TIO’s Revised Terms of Reference
Communications Alliance has responded to a survey from the TIO about its new power to join multiple members to a complaint, strongly supporting the TIO’s work to consult on these procedures before putting them into place due to the potential considerable consequences.
New Member
Communications Alliance is pleased to welcome the following new member:
Everbridge | Everbridge is a global enterprise software company that provides applications which automate the delivery of critical information to help keep people safe and businesses running. During mission-critical business events or man-made or natural disasters, global customers rely on the Everbridge platform to quickly and reliably construct and deliver contextual notifications to millions of people at one time. A broad set of applications enable companies, hospitals, agencies, states, cities and towns to address issues related to severe weather and man-made incidents, IT outages and cyberattacks, safety of traveling staff, and facilitate regulation-compliant messaging. |
Current Consultations
Below is a list of currently open telecommunications-related consultations being conducted by Government and other organisations that provide an opportunity for you to have your say.
Communications Alliance members interested in contributing to an industry submission (if one is being developed in response to a specific consultation) should contact us.
| Consultation | Organisation | Closing Date |
| Implementation of Parliamentary Committee and Auditor-General Recommendations - Department of Home Affairs | Australian National Audit Office | 27/02/2022 |
| Privacy Act Review Discussion Paper | AGD | 10/01/2022 |
| Response to the implementation of the Spectrum Pricing Review (part 2) | ACMA | 10/12/2021 |
| SBAS Final Access Determination Inquiry | ACCC | 10/12/2021 |
| Online Privacy Bill Exposure Draft | AGD | 06/12/2021 |
| Draft Restricted Access System Declaration | eSafety | 23/11/2021 |
| Sunset date for Telecommunications (Statutory Infrastructure Providers — Circumstances for Exceptions to Connection and Supply Obligations) Determination 2021 | DITRDC | 19/11/2021 |
| Radio local area networks (RLANs) in the 6 GHz band | ACMA | 19/11/2021 |
| Infrastructure Record Keeping Rules | ACCC | 19/11/2021 |
| NBN Services in Operation Record Keeping Rules | ACCC | 19/11/2021 |
| Basic Online Safety Expectations Draft Determination | DITRDC | 12/11/2021 |
Scams Awareness Week 8 – 12 November
Each year ACCC spend a week raising awareness of how scams operate in our community.
This year, Scams Awareness Week theme is ‘Let’s talk scams’.
Learn more here: https://www.scamwatch.gov.au/
Feedback | Contact Tel: (61) 2 9959 9111 |