Australian internet prices soar as speeds remain slow
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iTWire - Telco sector further extends measures to assist customers affected by COVID-19, ACCAN response
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by the telecommunications industry is a symbolic effort but will not sufficiently protect telco consumers, according to the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN).
First introduced in April 2020, the telecommunications hardship principles for COVID-19 were co-designed by the Federal Government and the telecommunications industry to provide a consistent baseline across industry to help customers stay connected, including those who are experiencing hardship.
“While we’ve welcomed the telco industry’s vocal support for Australians experiencing hardship during the COVID crisis, the fact of the matter is that these principles don’t actually offer any additional support for consumers in need,” said ACCAN CEO Teresa Corbin. “They are simply re-emphasising their existing obligations under the TCP Code and Complaints Handling Standard.”
Public Interest Advocacy Centre
The Commonwealth Treasury’s new proposal for a Consumer Data Right (CDR) increases risks for vulnerable energy consumers, won’t deliver its intended benefits and should be abandoned.
These were the recommendations of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre’s submission to the Treasury’s consultation on its plans for a CDR for energy. The Treasury proposal puts control of energy consumers’ data in the hands of energy retailers and automatically opts consumers in to sharing their joint account data.
‘Giving retailers control of people’s data undermines the intent of the energy CDR to give consumers the ability to use their data to their advantage’, said Craig Memery, Director of Energy Policy, Public Interest Advocacy Centre. ‘Retailers have no interest in helping their customers shop around for a better energy deal. The whole point of an energy Consumer Data Right is to overcome this problem; Treasury’s recommendation will only make i