Money and mobile service problems escalate in Quarter 3

View TIO Quarter 3 report 2025-26

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More people seek compensation after being left out of pocket

People asked for financial loss* compensation in 32.7% more complaints than the previous quarter. 

For the third consecutive quarter, complaints from people seeking compensation for non-financial loss** also increased, up 3% from the previous quarter and 16.4% compared to the same period last year.

*Financial loss means someone losing money or incurring costs because of a phone or internet problem. Business loss figures captured separately.

**Non-financial loss means someone experienced an unusual amount of inconvenience or disruption to peace of mind because of a phone or internet problem. Privacy-related figures captured separately.

Financial pressures return as financial hardship trends up

After declining last quarter, financial hardship problems went up 25.3%. The increase reflects renewed financial pressure, with more people struggling to get the support they need to manage phone and internet bills.

Mobile complaints climb as connectivity problems persist

Mobile complaints increased again this quarter, up 5.7% to 6,739 complaints. 

Several mobile connectivity and reliability problems increased from last quarter:

• More people reported delays setting up mobile services, up 31% to 418 complaints.
• Complaints from people without a working mobile service went up 25% to 540 complaints.
• Mobile complaints about poor coverage increased to 781 complaints, up 16%.
• Problems with mobile fault testing methods not working or being hard to follow went up 9.5% to 643 complaints.

Quotes attributable to Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert

“Complaint levels are stable overall but it’s concerning that mobile complaint numbers keep getting higher. When people can't use their mobile, it disrupts access to basic necessities and stops people getting on with their lives. It’s an even bigger problem for people who are more isolated with less options, like many living in regional, rural and remote parts of Australia.” 

“Phone or internet problems can leave people out of pocket, so more are asking for financial loss compensation. Outages or delays fixing a fault can contribute to lost income. People that need to get back online quickly may buy a temporary service, and others request refunds for monthly payments made for services they couldn’t use.” 

“Across complaints, we often see a single phone or internet problem turn into many. People might start with a connection problem and end up being unable to work. We also hear from people who need a payment plan but can’t get one they can afford, ending up deeper in debt. By the time people reach us, a single set back could have turned into real financial stress.” 

“The ask is for telcos is to communicate earlier and more regularly with their customers, to build trust and reduce the need for escalation. Where possible, telcos should also consider being proactive by identifying and fixing problems before customers raise them.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

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About the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO)

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman provides a free and fair dispute resolution service for consumers and small businesses who have an unresolved complaint about their phone or internet service.

Consumers and small businesses can get in touch via the Contact Us page on our website or 1800 062 058.