If you are experiencing problems contacting your telco
Search
The TIO has long advocated for a modernised USO that considers the essential nature of mobile services, including in our submission to the 2024 Regional Telco Review. A modernised Universal Service Obligation (USO) should reflect how Australians are using and relying on telco services in practice.
Including mobile services as a baseline entitlement for Australians will better reflect community expectations around broader and more reliable access to mobile services.
“I’m delighted to be leading the TIO’s work in this new capacity,” Wendy said. “I know this role as Assistant Ombudsman is integral to our provision of a quick, fair and accessible complaint resolution service for telco consumers. I really look forward to working with consumers, members, regulators, industry stakeholders and of course, my fantastic teams of dispute resolution professionals.”
Explore interactive data dashboards
Consumers complaining about customer service problems with inadequate fault testing increased 22 percent against the previous period and 59 percent against the same time last year, against the downward trend of complaints.
Directed by a small team of TIO Dispute Resolution Officers, the project saw 75% of complaints resolved in a single conference call, and 91% of complaints resolved with a small amount of follow up work. In addition, a high proportion of the remaining complainants agreed on a pathway to resolution during the conference call.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s Quarter 2 (Q2) 2020-21 Complaints Report shows while the number of complaints from small businesses decreased compared to the previous quarter, the proportion increased to 17 per cent of total complaints. This is the highest proportion of phone and internet complaints from small businesses in the last five quarters.
If you are struggling to pay for your phone and internet, you may feel overwhelmed and need help. If you are not offered the right payment options or support for your individual needs, it can make it harder for you to stay connected and pay for other essentials.
The most common complaints we see about financial hardship involve:
The past year has continued to see the trend of declining complaints coming to my office. Complaints dropped 33.4 per cent in the last financial year. Telcos have continued to improve internal dispute resolution processes for their customers and this has been reflected in the complaints we receive. In particular, fault and connection complaints have decreased by 29.8 per cent compared to the previous year.
Complaints as a proportion of telcos’ services in operation (SIO) were almost 13 per cent lower in the December quarter 2015 and 27 per cent lower compared to the same time the previous year, according to the telecommunications Complaints in Context report, released today.
The total complaints per 10,000 SIO for all participating telcos was 4.8, a decrease of 12.7 per cent compared to July-September 2015.
This month, the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman signed revised Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
The refreshed agreements outline a clear and transparent approach to collaboration and information sharing with the two regulators that will benefit consumers and the telco industry.