22 August 2017
Australia’s telecommunications industry leaders have committed to improving the experience of consumers switching phone and internet services to the National Broadband Network (NBN).
The Government yesterday convened an industry roundtable to secure joint action to better support customers during the peak rollout period. The roundtable heard from chief executive officers of the Communications Alliance, nbn, Optus, Telstra, TPG and Vocus, along with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).
Over the next two years, around 4.5 million homes and businesses will connect to an NBN-based service.
The industry has committed to tackling the key migration issues for consumers including confusing information, handballing customer complaints, lead times for connections and rescheduled appointments.
Other commitments include:
- Joint industry support for nbn’s process improvement initiatives under the multi-pronged ‘Focus on Customer Experience’ project
- More useful and practical information for consumers to explain how to connect to the NBN and what to do if services aren’t meeting expectations
- Contractual changes to support appointment-keeping, installation completions and complaint handling.
Internet retailers, nbn and Government will continue to work together over the coming months to make more changes that will ensure the processes for switching to the NBN better cater to consumers’ needs. A Ministerial CEO forum will report to the Government on progress within three months.
These efforts will build on measures already taken by the Government to support consumers’ understanding of this once-in-a-generation industry transition.
We are already:
- Helping Australians get what they pay for under their internet plan by introducing ACCC monitoring of broadband performance at the retailer level
- Having ACMA gather objective data on the consumer experience to help target industry improvements
- Research being commissioned by the ACMA to increase understanding of consumer experiences before, during and after migration to the NBN
- Releasing a revised telecommunications industry guide setting out the roles and responsibilities of all parties in delivering a smooth transition to an NBN-based service
Additionally, the ACCC has released guidance for retailers on how to advertise broadband speeds to customers, including clearly identifying typical minimum speeds during peak periods.
For more information on the industry guide visit: https://www.communications.gov.au/have-your-say/migration-assurance-framework
More information on the Broadband Performance Monitoring and Performance program is available at: https://www.accc.gov.au/regulated-infrastructure/communications/monitoring-reporting/broadband-performance-monitoring-reporting-program
Further information on the ACMA research is available at: http://www.acma.gov.au/theacma/acma-focus-on-the-nbn-customer-experience
Further information on the ACCC broadband speed claims is available at: