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In effect from 1 July 2025
The TIO expects providers to support people before, during and after they become a customer.
When something goes wrong with their phone or internet people should be able to easily and quickly access support that meets their needs.
Good industry practice encourages providers to make sure their complaint processes support different languages, cultural and accessibility needs.
The TIO’s Good Industry Practice Guide on Customer Service covers:
New research undertaken by my office and Community Legal Centres Queensland shows that almost half of community legal workers in that state are seeing clients burdened by phone and internet issues every week. And a further 20 per cent hear about phone and internet issues every two to four weeks.
The TIO is renewing its focus on Equality, Diversity, Inclusion (EDI) and Wellbeing with EDI and Wellbeing Lead Andrew Fitisemanu stepping into the role late last year.
Andrew is passionate about taking the organisation on a learning journey to improve the workplace, and aims to shape a “living breathing entity” that evolves as the organisation changes.
Andrew explains, “It’s not about monumental change, it’s about taking one step forward at a time, and making sure that everyone at the organisation has the invitation to join the journey.”
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) supports recommendations made by Energy and Water Ombudsman NSW to raise awareness of free Ombudsman services to consumers who are thinking about using a Credit Repair Agency.
“The TIO is a fast, free and fair way for consumers to have their telco complaints resolved,” Ombudsman Simon Cohen said.
“It is clearly preferable that consumers know they have the option to contact an Ombudsman themselves, at no charge, to have the fairness of charges and default listings examined.”
We help people and small businesses to resolve their phone and internet disputes.
We’re a free and independent service available to all Australians.
About TIO
Get to know the history of the TIO, what our purpose is and how we are structured.
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Who we are
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman is a free and independent dispute resolution service for residential consumers and small businesses who have an unresolved problem with their phone or internet service.
The TIO is recognised by the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as an external dispute resolution scheme that handles privacy-related complaints under the Privacy Act 1998.
The new ‘extra care’ queue is designed for cases from consumers who are experiencing vulnerability. They may be affected by family violence, in financial hardship, or require extra care and sensitivity from us when discussing how their phone and internet problems impact their lives.
Some examples are consumers who:
Posted 1.10pm
Update from Optus:
"Some services across fixed and mobile are now gradually being restored. This may take a few hours for all services to recover, and different services may restore at different sites over that time."
Posted 11.47am