New telco consumer safeguards bill introduced to Parliament

The Albanese Government will move to improve safeguards for Australian consumer and small businesses through new legislation introduced to Parliament today.

 

The Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Enhancing Consumer Safeguards and Other Measures) Bill will improve the statutory infrastructure provider (SIP) regime in a number of ways. The SIP regime ensures Australians can access high-speed broadband wherever they live or carry on business, and provides appropriate protections.

 

The Bill will deliver greater certainty to customers where their current SIP chooses to stop offering services. The SIP will be required to provide sufficient notice to NBN Co. As the default SIP, NBN Co will have sufficient time to provide alternative infrastructure before the incumbent provider vacates the premises.

 

The Bill also includes measures to bring private networks that service new developments, such as retirement villages, into the SIP regime. This will ensure that all consumers, no matter where they live have access to quality broadband services on request.

 

The Bill will give the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman a clearer role in resolving disputes about service connections. Under the new laws, the Ombudsman will be able to work with customers and providers to resolve problems.

 

The Bill also sets out important new powers for the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The ACMA will be able to require developers to remediate defective infrastructure that supports telecommunications services in their new developments. This means that the cost of any remediation will fall on developers – rather than on home owners or telecommunications providers.

 

The ACMA will also be able to publish telecommunications providers’ performance metrics in its public reports, providing consumers to make more informed choices about the telecommunications provider best suited to them.

 

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:

 

“Reliable connectivity is essential in our increasingly digital society, and consumer safeguards need to keep pace to help keep Australians online.

 

“This new Bill will ensure consumers are able to access the service they need and deserve – and provide appropriate protections where that service fails.

 

“The Government will continue to work with industry and other stakeholders to get our regulatory setting rights and ensure we have robust systems in place that allow communities to reach their full potential."