James Parker

Fewer telco complaints mean people have given up, not that problems are fixed. TIO complaints fell 6.5% in 2025–26. Research from @CPRC_research found 46% of people with telco problems never complain, most sceptical or overwhelmed. tio.com.au/data-and-reports/…

A new Ombudsman report found systemic problems for regional Australia: 27,882 complaints in two years. ACCAN's Carol Bennett: "The telcos can choose whether or not they invest. They're clearly not investing in the regions, and regional Australians miss out."

There's no comprehensive public reporting of how mobile networks and emergency call system perform. Energy providers must report performance in detail; mobile networks face no equivalent requirement.  ACCAN wants that fixed. Read our recommendation: accan.org.au/accan-submissio…

Coverage maps have been live since 30 June. @lauzfitz @abcnews finds they still don't match reality. One man under 3km from a tower gets a signal the standard calls "no coverage", while his map says moderate to good. Prediction isn't the same as coverage. abc.net.au/news/2026-07-24/n…

75% of Australians rely on their mobile as their only way to reach Triple Zero. Between 8 and 10% reported that they or a family member could not connect to Triple Zero due to a mobile outage, confirmed across two surveys. Full report out now: accan.org.au/consumer-sentim…

The #TIO's Q3 complaints data is out. 6,739 mobile complaints. Financial loss up 32.7%. Financial hardship up 25.3%. 60 complaints from people who couldn't reach Triple Zero. Read the full report: tio.com.au/reports/quarter-3…

We just published new #TripleZero research: 8% of surveyed Australians reported that they or a family member couldn't reach Triple Zero due to a mobile outage in the last 12 months. This confirms the data from our research three months ago. 91% of Australians say telcos have a responsibility to ensure Triple Zero calls can connect, even during a network outage. accan.org.au/accan-s-media-r…

ACMA sets compliance priorities each year. ACCAN has lodged our 2026–27 submission urging ACMA to prioritise #TripleZero, public safety and consumer protection, and to use its powers consistently, proactively and urgently. Endorsed by Westjustice and @consumer_action

Shareholders up, Australians down. Telstra raises mobile prices for the 2nd time in 10 months - up to 17% in a year. Few weeks after making record profits and increasing returns to shareholders, Australians are asked to pay more. Full article by @SamEBJones in @FinancialReview

The TIO’s new complaints report is out: 📈 14,017 complaints ⚠️ “No service” +41.6% 🚨 400+ Triple Zero–related issues ACCAN is calling for standardised #outageregisters, stronger reliability rules & real transparency. Read the full report 👇

Documents released to the Senate have revealed that telcos knew some phones wouldn’t be able to call Triple Zero after the 3G shutdown - and were reluctant to block them ahead of time. More than a year later, new affected devices are still being identified. This was a commercial decision by Australian telcos, taken earlier than in many comparable countries. Consumers should not be left carrying the risk or cost of network changes they did not choose. Access to Triple Zero is fundamental to public safety. Industry decisions that fall short of this standard have real consequences. Our CEO @CarolJBennett spoke to @abcmelbourne's @Raf_Epstein in-depth this morning: abc.net.au/listen/programs/m…

New @RoyMorganAus data shows @Optus was Australia’s most distrusted brand in October 2025, reflecting two years of declining confidence in major telcos. Roy Morgan’s message is clear: distrust has real business consequences. Reliability was a major driver of distrust, including Triple-Zero failures, outages, unclear crisis communication and customer service issues. Business decision-makers showed 23% higher distrust in Optus than the general public, highlighting concern among organisations reliant on stable services. Roy Morgan also found that distrust is now impacting the market through customer losses, weaker brand equity and higher switching intent. Positively, Aussie Broadband which won the most trusted telco for another successive year and we congratulate them! Trust can’t be rebuilt through messaging alone, it requires strong regulation, transparency and consistent service delivery. Watch the video: youtu.be/wmqUaiyBti4?si=uCor…

Our CEO @CarolJBennett spoke to ABC @RadioNational's Paul Turton about the how self-regulation in the telecommunications industry has failed. Industry cannot be expected to manage the public’s safety when its primary responsibility is to shareholders and profitability. Protecting consumers is the role of government and that requires strong, enforceable regulation. We need direct oversight, not industry-written rules that continue to fall short in critical areas. #triplezero

The ABC's national consumer affairs reporter @michaelatkin has produced some excellent journalism on the evolving Triple Zero camp-on issue affecting older Samsung mobile phones. Thousands of consumers with older Samsung devices have been given 28 days' notice to upgrade their at-risk device before their carrier cuts off all services. ACCAN is concerned about the impact this will have on financially vulnerable, older and regional Australians, for whom upgrading may be challenging or unaffordable. As our CEO @CarolJBennett told the ABC, once this immediate Triple Zero safety issue is resolved, it will be important to examine whether appropriate oversight and compliance with Triple Zero obligations were maintained throughout this process. Read more: abc.net.au/news/2025-10-24/v…

ACCAN CEO @CarolJBennett spoke to @abcnews_au this morning about the @SamsungAU Triple-Zero issue affecting older Samsung devices. She highlighted the pressure this places on consumers who can’t afford a new phone, especially with the 28-day notice period from telcos to update or replace affected devices. ACCAN says: Telcos and regulators must prioritise public safety and ensure every Australian can access Triple-Zero without undue burden. #samsung #samsunggalaxy #triplezero #telco #news #acma #telecommunications #auspol #australia #emergencyservices