Ombudsman welcomes new rules for telco communications

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has welcomed the announcement of new rules which will improve the way that telcos communicate with their customers.

Minister for Communications, the Hon. Michelle Rowland today announced a new Standard to be made by the Australian Communications and Media Authority. According to the new rules, telcos will be required to meet minimum standards for communication with customers during an outage, a move that the TIO called for in the wake of the Optus outage last year.

Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert said, “Telecommunication services are essential services – and when there is an outage, it’s imperative that customers receive timely and relevant information about their circumstances.”

The announcement of further rules to enhance the quality of communication that customers receive from their telcos is another step forward in ensuring that consumer protections meet community expectations for the delivery of an essential service.

The TIO also supports the government’s direction to the ACMA to undertake a review of the Complaints Handling Standard which guides how telcos respond to complaints from customers.

“Many of the telco customers who contact my office report unsatisfactory interactions with their telcos, both during outages and when they have other issues. I’m pleased that a new standard will be introduced to lift the bar on the quality of communications with consumers during major events. This will support consumer trust and confidence in the telco sector,” Cynthia said.

Ombudsman Cynthia Gebert welcomed the comments of Minister Rowland, who said that the Optus Outage exposed significant areas within the broader telco sector in need of reform.

“Minister Rowland is right to suggest that we can improve the telco sector for consumers if we all pull in the same direction. Today’s announcement is a win for customers, and for the broader sector,” she added.