Left behind: Experiences of telco consumers living in regional, rural and remote Australia

The report finds that:

• Remoteness can make everyday telco issues harder to resolve
• Mobile connectivity can be unreliable and fall short of what consumers need
• Limited choice and low awareness of telco technologies can leave consumers without alternative options
• Outages and unreliable services create significant safety risks and disruptions for business.

The report draws on insights from close to 28,000 complaints received over the past two financial years, a close review of 2,000 of these complaints, and conversations with telcos, government, consumers and consumer groups.

The report makes 12 recommendations which can be achieved through coordination and cooperation across telcos, government and consumer groups, including:

• A comprehensive review of the telco regulatory framework including a focus on addressing place-based disadvantages
• Compensation payable directly to consumers where standards for internet broadband services aren’t met
• Remedies for significant mobile access delays where standards aren’t met
• Investment in tailored digital literacy programs
• Better community education about emergency communications and preparing for scheduled outages.