Broadband Complaint Numbers

The graphs show some key statistics relating to broadband complaints since December 2003. According to the ACCC’s Broadband snapshot, broadband take-up rose by 120 per cent over the 2004 calendar year.

At the end of 2004, there were 1.5 million broadband subscribers. ADSL has emerged as the dominant service, with over one million services now connected.

This rapid take-up is reflected in the number of provisioning (requests to provide a service) complaints received by the TIO.

There are limits on the TIO’s powers to investigate complaints where the provisioning of a broadband service has been refused. Usually, the TIO will only be able to investigate whether an ISP has offered a customer accurate, supported information.

Nevertheless, it is concerning that in the September quarter, broadband provisioning complaints (at 644) approached those of landlines (746). (The TIO’s complaints include ADSL, cable, satellite and wireless broadband services).

Broadband provisioning complaints declined in the December quarter, which the TIO believes is consistent with a slow down in take-up of ADSL.

Complaints about advice given at the point of sale are showing a worrying trend, with a fivefold increase since the March 2004 quarter.