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Slow internet speed

The problem

Providers are required to offer internet plans based on the speed they know is achievable. Many things (including things outside the control of the provider) can affect the speed of an internet service. These include:

  • The type of internet infrastructure eg fibre, mix of fibre and copper, copper only, HFC cable, fixed wireless, or satellite
  • The age and quality of internet infrastructure
  • How close your premises are to internet infrastructure
  • How many people are using the provider’s network at the same time
  • Issues inside your premises, such as internal wiring

It is possible that a provider may not be able to fix a speed problem in a reasonable time, if at all. This can mean you are paying for something the provider cannot supply.

Remedies

If you are not receiving the speed you are contracted for, your provider should offer you a billing reduction while it tries to fix the problem. The amount of the reduction will depend on the individual circumstances of your speed problem.

If your provider can’t fix a speed problem in a reasonable time, you need to decide whether you want to stay with the provider or go to another one.

Your provider should let you leave your contract (including any bundled products or services) at no cost or move to a different speed plan if you would prefer this.

If you decide to stay with your provider on a plan that you know won’t deliver the speeds you want, the provider does not have to continue to give you a discount or refund.

These remedies are in line with undertakings made to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. In late 2017 and early 2018, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission accepted court-enforceable undertakings from eight internet service providers that admitted they likely misled consumers about broadband speeds and offered to compensate affected consumers.

Principle 6 of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s Broadband Speed Claims says the Australian Consumer Law applies to the supply of broadband services to consumers. Businesses that supply broadband services to consumers guarantee that those services will be:

  • provided with due care and skill
  • fit for any specified or particular purpose (express or implied), including being of sufficient quality to achieve desired results, and
  • provided within a reasonable time (when no time is set).

More information

The Australian Consumer Law

Guidance from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission:

Other guides for Problems with your service

Faulty equipment

This guidance note tells you:
the types of complaints about telecommunications equipment we can and cannot consider
what we take into account when looking at these complaints
what we expect from you.

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Faulty services - in detail

When we deal with complaints involving faulty services we consider what is fair and reasonable in the circumstances having regard to the law, relevant industry codes, guidelines, and good practice. 

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Faulty services

We can help with your complaint about services that are faulty. To resolve your complaint, we consider what is fair and reasonable in the circumstances having regard to the law, relevant industry codes, guidelines, and good practice.

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Recurring faults

This help page tells you what to do when you have a fault on your service that keeps coming back. It also explains what what your provider should do, and what remedies are available.

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SIM Swaps

This help page tells you how our office handles complaints about unauthorised SIM card swapping.

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Loss of or access to phone numbers

We can help with your complaint about certain problems with phone numbers, including complaints about losing access to your number because you have lost the rights of use of it or it has been quarantined. We can also help if you have been given an out of area number – that is, a number with an area code different to your actual location – without being told how calls will be charged.

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How we've helped other customers

Tamin Tutoring was charged an unfairly high early cancellation fee

Complaint
Tamin Tutoring signed up for an NBN service and equipment bundle with BlockTel but experienced frequent faults with slow and dropped video calls and inconsistent phone calls. When they tried to cancel due to these issues, BlockTel demanded over $7,000 for early termination.
Outcome
Tamin Tutoring didn’t want to pay this cancellation fee because the service never worked properly. After complaining to our office, the parties agreed that Tamin Tutoring could exit its contract and only pay 40 per cent of the cost of the cancellation fees.
Home phone
Internet
Mobile phone

Tamin Tutoring was charged an unfairly high early cancellation fee

Complaint
Tamin Tutoring signed up for an NBN service and equipment bundle with BlockTel but experienced frequent faults with slow and dropped video calls and inconsistent phone calls. When they tried to cancel due to these issues, BlockTel demanded over $7,000 for early termination.
Outcome
Tamin Tutoring didn’t want to pay this cancellation fee because the service never worked properly. After complaining to our office, the parties agreed that Tamin Tutoring could exit its contract and only pay 40 per cent of the cost of the cancellation fees.
Home phone
Internet
Mobile phone
This page was last updated on
31st Aug 2021

Free, fair and independent help for phone and internet complaints.

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land throughout Australia and their continuing connection to land, culture and community.
We pay our respects to Elders past and present, and extend our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples from all nations of this land.