The ACMA is seeking feedback on proposed new rules which would further improve the regulatory protections for telco consumers in the event of network outages.
In October 2024 the ACMA made new rules to give Australians even greater confidence that they would be able to get through to Triple Zero (000) when they needed help, as well as to provide for minimum standards of communication between telcos and their customers when their network was experiencing a major outage.
These rules were one step in implementing the outcomes of a review into the Optus network outage, which caused significant disruptions to its customers on 8 November 2023, and were made following a direction to the ACMA by the Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP.
Today the ACMA is releasing a further package of proposed enhanced consumer protections for consultation. These proposed rules would require telcos to share key information with customers during significant local outages (as well as during major outages), and to take additional steps to improve the reliability of emergency call services during outages. They would also give effect to new complaint handing processes when customers experience outages, as well as enhance the broader complaint handling framework for telco customers.
These new rules would mean that consumers can:
- get timely information about localised outages outside the major cities that are affecting their telco services, including when services might be restored;
- have greater confidence that calls to Triple Zero will get through when their usual network might not be working but there is another network available;
- more easily lodge complaints about network outages affecting them;
- get better service and faster resolution when they complain to their telco, with clearer information about complaint processes and escalating complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman; and
- be assured that telcos will be held to account by the ACMA for doing the work needed to stop recurring outages that can be reasonably prevented.
The proposed rules have been published as amended versions of the following instruments:
- Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination 2019.
- Telecommunications (Customer Communications for Outages) Industry Standard 2024.
- Telecommunications (Consumer Complaints Handling) Industry Standard 2018.
The ACMA has a range of options available to enforce rules set out in Determinations and Standards, including giving formal warnings, issuing an infringement notice, accepting a court-enforceable undertaking, giving a remedial direction, or commencing civil penalty proceedings in the Federal Court.
To inform our review of the Complaints Handling Standard, the ACMA also undertook an audit of 10 telcos’ processes and practices around the existing provisions designed to ensure telcos are monitoring complaints for recurring and systemic issues and taking action to prevent them from continuing. The audit report has been published on our website.
Feedback can be made via the ACMA Have your say web page until 14 March 2025.