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We consulted on proposed new rules to better protect telco consumers facing domestic and family violence. |
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We consulted on proposed new rules to further improve the reliability of emergency call services. |
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We consulted on proposed new rules to improve the information provided to users of communications services during significant local outages. This will enhance the way telcos handle consumer complaints in the event of a network outage. |
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We published telco complaints-handling data for the October to December 2024 quarter, identifying the performance of the 34 largest Australian telcos. Telcos received 212,923 complaints, 10.2% lower than the same quarter the previous year. |
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Telstra paid an infringement notice totalling $394,380 for failing to comply with rules requiring telcos to test the speed of NBN services. They must take action if the speeds do not meet the customer’s plan. |
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We registered a new numbering plan that includes a new power allowing us to cancel the enhanced rights of use for a smartnumber. This is when we have reasonable grounds to believe it has been used, or is likely to be used, for scam communication or other fraudulent activity. |
Telco compliance 2024–25
Safeguarding Triple Zero (000) emergency call services
When a telco network outage occurs, it can significantly affect emergency services, public safety and vulnerable people.
A focus of the ACMA is the compliance of carriers, carriage service providers and Emergency Call Persons. This helps ensure calls are successfully carried to emergency services.
We have been monitoring compliance with recent amendments to the Emergency Call Service Determination. These commenced on 28 October 2024 and require providers to identify and cease supply of service to mobile phones that are unable to call Triple Zero (000).
To further improve regulatory protections for telco consumers in the event of network outages, we consulted on proposed new rules in the quarter. These rules will provide greater certainty that in the event a telco network suffers an outage, calls to Triple Zero (000) will be carried by an alternative telco network that is available to carry the call.
We intend on making these additional amendments to the Emergency Call Service Determination before 30 April 2025, for commencement on 1 November 2025.
Protecting telco customers in financial hardship
Compliance with the new Financial Hardship Standard is an ACMA focus. The new rules came into effect on 29 March 2024.
The Financial Hardship Standard improves safeguards for telco customers in financial difficulty. Telcos must:
- establish and promote their financial hardship policies
- identify customers experiencing financial hardship
- provide a better range of options for assistance
- prioritise keeping customers connected.
We recently undertook an audit of 25 telcos’ compliance with the Financial Hardship Standard. Our audit focused on the telcos identifying and communicating with financial hardship customers, credit management and staff training. Five investigations are currently underway.
Supporting telco customers experiencing domestic and family violence
Telecommunications are central to everyday living. However, for people experiencing or trying to escape domestic and family violence, these services can be a lifeline.
Supporting telco customers experiencing domestic and family violence is an ACMA focus. On 10 December 2024, the Minister for Communications, Michelle Rowland, directed us to make an industry standard to protect telco customers experiencing domestic and family violence.
We are working closely with the telco industry and domestic and family violence experts to develop a new standard. On 25 February 2025, we published a draft standard for public consultation (closing 2 April 2025).
The standard is intended to provide people affected by domestic, family and sexual violence with safer, more secure and more reliable telco services. We are required to make the standard by 9 June 2025. It will commence at the earliest practical opportunity.
Combating scams
We continue to disrupt scam activities and protect Australians. Our quarterly Action on scams, spam and telemarketing report includes the measures we have taken after our investigations.
Other telco compliance activities
We opened 5 investigations into telco compliance with:
- Record keeping rules relating to consumer complaints.
- Legislation that requires telcos to submit an Interception Capability Plan by 1 July each year.
- Emergency Call Service Determination rules that require telcos to comply with Triple Zero (000) emergency number requirements.
- Rules relating to identity checks for prepaid services.
- Mobile Number Pre-Porting Identify Verification Standard rules that require telcos to do customer identity checks to confirm Rights of Use and prevent unauthorised porting of mobile service numbers.
We completed 5 investigations into telco compliance with:
- TCP Code rules that set out telco credit management practices.
- Emergency Call Service Determination rules that require telcos to ensure access to the 106 emergency number.
- Mobile Number Pre-Porting Identify Verification Standard rules.
- Scam Code rules to disrupt, monitor, report and share information on scam activity in Australia (2).
Our compliance and enforcement outcomes for the quarter included:
- Telstra paying a $394,380 infringement notice. Telstra failed to make required internet line speed checks while migrating customers from legacy networks to the NBN.
We monitored compliance with 7 court-enforceable undertakings and one remedial direction during the quarter. These set out the actions telcos must take to improve their compliance with telco laws with the aim of improving consumer outcomes in the future. One telco has been late in meeting its recent undertakings, which raises serious compliance issues for the ACMA. We will raise this directly with the telco concerned. No other compliance issues were identified.
View our enforcement actions for breaches of telco laws.
We started 27 compliance assessments and completed 12 compliance assessments into telco compliance with consumer safeguards. These assessments are an important source of industry intelligence. They resulted in investigations, direct compliance contacts with telcos, ongoing telco monitoring and industry education.
Completed compliance activities
* Access the data file for this graph at the bottom of this page.
Protecting telco customers in network outages
We are currently consulting on draft amendments to the Consumer Complaints Handling Standard and the Customer Communications for Outages Standard. This is to strengthen protections for consumers experiencing network outages.
The proposed amendments to the Consumer Complaints Handling Standard will:
- enhance the way telcos handle consumer complaints in a network outage
- make other general consumer safeguard improvements.
The proposed amendments to the Customer Communications for Outages Standard will:
- introduce rules to improve the information provided to users of communications services during significant local outages
- impose additional requirements to communicate with the public during outages caused by natural disasters.
We intend on making these amendments before 30 April 2025, for commencement on 30 June 2025.
Telco complaints-handling
We released the telco complaints report for the October to December 2024 quarter.
Across the industry, complaint resolution times increased on average from 5.5 days in the July to September 2024 quarter to 6.2 days in the October to December 2024 quarter. TIO escalation rates increased from 6.2% to 6.9%.
In the October to December 2024 quarter, the provider that received the least complaints per 10,000 services was Vonex (3), while Uniti Internet received the most complaints per 10,000 services (113).
The providers that resolved complaints the fastest were Moose Mobile, Circles.Life, Starlink and Dodo (one day on average). The provider that resolved complaints the slowest was Skymesh (18 days on average).
The provider with the lowest TIO referral rate was Lebara (1.6%), and the provider with the highest TIO referral rate was More Telecom (114.6%). We are working with More Telecom to understand why its TIO referral rate is so high.
Review of telco numbering plan
In early 2024, we started a review of the Telecommunications Numbering Plan, ahead of its sunset in April 2025. This review helped us to:
- promote effective and efficient numbering arrangements
- ensure the rules remain relevant in an innovative and changing environment.
On 13 November 2024, we published a consultation paper inviting public submissions on an updated draft instrument. The 90-day consultation period closed on 12 February 2025.
We received 15 submissions, which informed the final instrument. The new Telecommunications Numbering Plan was registered on 24 March 2025.
Stakeholder forums
The Consumer Consultative Forum (CCF) offers the ACMA advice and consumer views on policy and regulatory issues affecting telco consumers. It consists of ongoing and set-term members.
CCF members met on 4 March 2025 to discuss the Domestic and Family Violence Standard, recent ACMA media coverage and our upcoming plans for improving consumer education. Issues relating to financial hardship, credit management and the 3G shutdown were also discussed.
The next CCF meeting will be held on 25 June 2025.
On 28 February 2025, we met with the Numbering Advisory Committee (NAC) to clarify drafting provisions ahead of finalising the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 2025.
The next NAC meeting is planned to be held in June 2025.
