ACCAN

ACCAN Australia's peak body for communications consumers

Discussion Policy:

We want to help you understand your rights, avoid bill shock, choose between phone and internet providers and navigate other telco matters. These have been important issues to others in the past, but we want to hear what's important to you right now. Feel free to join in the discussion (just play nice, offensive/disrespectful comments and spam will be deleted). Also, though we

can't guarantee we'll always be able to fix the problem, if there's community concern we'll always do our best to promote a good outcome for consumers.

Great to meet with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, Cynthia Gebert. We spoke about: 🤝 the need for digital pla...
04/06/2026

Great to meet with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, Cynthia Gebert.

We spoke about:
🤝 the need for digital platforms reform
📈 Rising digital complaints
🛡️ Tackling scams under the Scam Prevention Framework

ACCAN supports strengthening the TIO’s role in digital complaints to ensure that consumers have an avenue for redress when digital platforms fail to protect them.

41% of First Nations people remain digitally excluded, while Closing the Gap Target 17 required equal digital inclusion ...
04/06/2026

41% of First Nations people remain digitally excluded, while Closing the Gap Target 17 required equal digital inclusion by 2026.

As part of our submission to the Select Committee on Productivity, ACCAN has highlighted that digital inclusion is essential to economic participation and to maximising the benefits of productivity for all Australians. Of 1,499 remote communities and homelands, 767 still have no mobile service based on the 2025 Mapping the Digital Gap report by ARC Centre for Automated Decision-Making & Society referring specifically to mobile service coverage.

Earlier this year, the Government announced an investment of $11.6 million in free community Wi-Fi for remote NT communities which ACCAN welcomed as a meaningful first step but we call for more investment in future budgets. Hundreds of communities remain disconnected with no confirmed funding pathway.

Without stable, affordable connectivity, digital inclusion programs cannot deliver. ACCAN is calling for the Community Wi-Fi program to be expanded and for First Nations communities to have a genuine voice in the design and delivery of the programs meant to serve them.

Read our full submission at https://www.accan.org.au/accan-submission/select-committee-on-productivity-in-australia

04/06/2026

We just published new Triple Zero research. And the results confirm what we've been saying for months: the system is failing people.

📵 In February, 10% of Australians told us that they or a family member couldn't reach Triple Zero due to a mobile outage in the last 12 months.

🔍 We wanted to dive deeper into the number and ran it again three months later. We got 8% this time. Clearly, some consumers are having trouble calling Triple Zero.

💔 When Australians’ experience doesn't match what they're told to expect from emergency services, trust breaks down, with 22% of Australians saying that their trust in Triple Zero has declined over the past two years.

91% say Telecommunications companies have a responsibility to ensure Triple Zero calls can connect, even during a network outage.

89% want the government to require telecommunications companies to meet minimum standards for emergency call reliability.

📣 The mandate from the public is clear, Australians want the Triple Zero system to keep them safe.

📲 Read the snapshot report at the link: https://www.accan.org.au/consumer-sentiment-tracker/consumer-experiences-contacting-triple-zero%3A-snapshot-report-

Two independent surveys conducted three months apart produced a statistically consistent result. Between 8 and 10% repor...
03/06/2026

Two independent surveys conducted three months apart produced a statistically consistent result. Between 8 and 10% reported they or a family member could not reach Triple Zero during a mobile network outage in the past 12 months.

When the same finding is confirmed by repeat research, it’s not just a data point anymore and starts being a pattern that demands action.

This time around, our research goes beyond the headline numbers and examines what consumers believe is happening when a Triple Zero call fails, what actions they take next, and who they believe is responsible.

• 91% of Australians agree telcos must ensure Triple Zero works during outages
• 89% support government-mandated minimum standards
• Only 52% believe the current reliability of mobile networks for emergency calling in Australia is good enough.

ACCAN's Triple Zero Experience Survey is now available. Read it at https://www.accan.org.au/consumer-sentiment-tracker/consumer-experiences-contacting-triple-zero%3A-snapshot-report-

Most Australians are paying too much for their phone and internet services, and 72% do not regularly review their servic...
01/06/2026

Most Australians are paying too much for their phone and internet services, and 72% do not regularly review their services to find a better deal. We've put together six solutions.

ACCAN has released a new policy position on telecommunications affordability, calling on the Government to take targeted steps to address the growing cost of connectivity for Australian households.

For too many Australians, paying the phone or internet bill now means going without other essentials. The average monthly home internet bill in Australia is $84, yet only 13% of households pay less than $60 per month. 81% of Australians support requiring mobile providers to offer an entry level affordable plan. 72% of home internet consumers do not regularly review their services, and the telecommunications market remains confusing, opaque, and difficult to navigate.

The affordability challenge does not look the same for everyone. Some Australians are completely cut off from connectivity due to homelessness, domestic and family violence, or severe financial hardship. Others could stay connected with the right support but are paying far more than they should for a basic service. And even those who can afford their current plan deserve a fairer, more transparent market.

ACCAN is calling on the Government to:
• Create a concessional broadband product for low-income households receiving Commonwealth financial support
• Cap retail prices on the NBN Entry Level Offer
• Fund an Independent Plan Comparison Tool for all Australians
• Include affordability safeguards in the universal services framework
• Establish an emergency connectivity assistance program with service vouchers for Australians in acute financial hardship
• Fund a consumer education program adapted for First Nations communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities, older Australians, and people with disabilities

Connectivity is not a luxury. Read the full policy position at https://lnkd.in/g4i-7nSn

28/05/2026

Yesterday at Senate Estimates, a concerning picture emerged of how Australia's communications regulator treats consumer advocacy.

We welcome Senator David Pocock's questions about the ACMA’s treatment of ACCAN in serving us with coercive powers notice for research representing consumer experience of triple zero.

In April, Australian Communications and Media Authority used coercive information gathering powers under section 522 of the Telecommunications Act against ACCAN, a 14-person organisation, compelling us to hand over the full methodology behind the Consumer Sentiment Tracker Wave 3 research ACCAN had commissioned from Essential Research. The order required compliance within five business days with non-compliance potentially attracting penalties of over $30,000 or even imprisonment. The Consumer Sentiment Tracker found that 1 in 10 Australians reported that they or a member of their family was unable to reach Triple Zero from a mobile phone in the last 12 months due to a mobile outage.

As we have said before, we stand by our consumer sentiment research. While the findings of the research are cause for concern, Australians do not deserve a situation where the messenger delivering survey data is shot by the regulator who is meant to be the consumer watchdog.

ACMA provided a range of explanations for why progress is slow on the deadly Optus Triple Zero report which is nine months old or why over 500 breaches of by Entain entities were not responded to leading to them to be ‘timed out’ under the legislation. At the same time, it has been very proactive at a time when Telstra and their peak body, the ATA were publicly attacking research as ‘misleading’ for showcasing the true lived experiences of Australians.

At yesterday's hearing, ACMA confirmed it had not yet taken up the briefing meeting offered by ACCAN and Essential Research before the notice was ever issued. ACMA also acknowledged that some matters are genuinely complex and require time. That reasoning sits uneasily alongside the urgency applied to a 14-person consumer organisation.

Senator Pocock put it plainly: this is no way to treat a consumer organisation doing the right things for Australians.

We agree. Independent consumer research is the foundation of evidence-based advocacy. If what happened to ACCAN could happen to any consumer organisation that publishes findings a regulator finds inconvenient, that has drastic implications beyond ACCAN, for the integrity of independent advocacy in Australia.

This speaks volumes about the culture and priorities of this regulator which needs to do better.

For Australians living with a disability, connectivity is not optional. It is how medical devices are monitored remotely...
28/05/2026

For Australians living with a disability, connectivity is not optional. It is how medical devices are monitored remotely, how video interpreting services function, and how people participate in employment, education and everyday life when other infrastructure falls short.

Currently the Government is reviewing the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, which provides a critical opportunity to strengthen ICT accessibility provisions. There are no requirements for government agencies to procure accessible products and services. ACCAN's submission to the Select Committee on Productivity recommends the Committee consider three reforms: amending the DDA to require accessible ICT in government service delivery, requiring government agencies to procure accessible ICT products and services. ACCAN also looks forward to supporting the development of the national plan for accessible information and communications.

We also welcome the government's confirmation of continued funding for Accessible Telecoms, ACCAN's free, independent advice service for Australians living with a disability and older Australians navigating telecommunications products and services.

Read ACCAN's full submission: https://www.accan.org.au/accan-submission/select-committee-on-productivity-in-australia

5.5 million Australians live with a disability. For many, the internet is not just a convenience. It is how they access ...
28/05/2026

5.5 million Australians live with a disability. For many, the internet is not just a convenience. It is how they access medical devices, video interpreting services, healthcare, and essential services. ♿

When other infrastructures, like transport, are inadequate or inaccessible, connectivity becomes even more critical. Currently the Government is reviewing the Disability Discrimination Act 1992, which provides a critical opportunity to strengthen ICT accessibility provisions. 📱

ACCAN's submission to the Select Committee on Productivity calls for the DDA to be amended to require accessible ICT in government service delivery for government agencies to procure accessible products and services.

ACCAN also looks forward to supporting the development of the national plan for accessible information and communications.

🎉We also welcome the government's confirmation of continued funding for Accessible Telecoms 🎉

Read the full submission on our website!

27/05/2026

ACCAN is in Canberra this week for Senate Estimates. While here, Independent Member for Indi Dr Helen Haines MP has introduced a private member's bill to strengthen communications during natural disasters.

The bill does three things ACCAN supports: boosting ministerial powers over temporary disaster roaming, setting mandatory backup power standards for mobile base stations, and creating a formal funding pathway for community resilience projects.

Stronger, more resilient communications during emergencies is not a nice-to-have. It is life-saving infrastructure. ACCAN is calling for better infrastructure sharing during disasters and reliable emergency calling for all Australians, wherever they are.

Read Dr Haines' media release here: https://www.helenhaines.org/media/haines-introduces-bill-to-strengthen-disaster-communications/

We welcome Independent MP Helen Haines MP introducing a private member's bill to set minimum backup power requirements f...
25/05/2026

We welcome Independent MP Helen Haines MP introducing a private member's bill to set minimum backup power requirements for critical mobile telecommunications sites in areas at high risk of natural disasters, legislatively clarify and boost ministerial powers for temporary disaster roaming, and making the provision of telecommunications during natural disasters a purpose for which public interest telecommunications grants may be made.

When networks go down during floods, fires and cyclones, people in regional areas are left unable to call for help, receive emergency alerts, or contact their families. This bill would give the Minister the power to require telcos to provide temporary disaster roaming in declared emergencies, ensuring no Australian loses connectivity when they need it most.

"Despite multiple reviews and inquiries making clear recommendations, governments have failed to act. When communications fail, lives are put at risk." - Dr Helen Haines said.

ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett has been clear: temporary disaster roaming is a no-brainer. But the government needs to go further and pursue domestic mobile roaming for regional, rural and remote Australia. Connectivity in a crisis is not a luxury. It is a basic safety measure.

Telstra and Optus say they are on track to deliver temporary disaster roaming by October. We will be watching closely to make sure that commitment is kept.

Read Elizabeth Pike and Jack Quail on The Australian: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/mp-pushes-bill-to-force-telcos-to-share-networks-during-natural-disasters/news-story/c1f0d63bdf4abb151283e22c92b446be

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