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Support for the Internet Association of Australia’s (IAA) open letter to the Minister for Communications and Sport, the Hon. Anika Wells, has more than doubled since it was published on 26 October 2026. It now has over 20 signatories, the group representing a likely combined 200,000+ services in operation (SIOs).
The letter, which launched with 9 small and medium carriers and carriage service providers, calls for telecommunications regulation that is proportionate and practical, and that does not make it harder for small providers to operate.
The supporters range from sole trader or small team ISPs, through to publicly listed telcos. The range of supporters spanning the breadth of industry reflects how widely the concerns are felt.
“The response from Members and the broader industry has been massive,” said Narelle Clark, CEO. “This is not a niche concern. Telcos of varying sizes are telling us the same thing: they support strong consumer protections, but the cumulative cost and complexity of regulation is threatening the viability of a healthy and competitive market.”
IAA Members are particularly concerned about the likely cost of compliance, and resulting consequences of the proposed Telecommunications (Consumer Protections) Industry Standard 2026 (TCP Standard). With draft provisions indicating telcos will need to make significant changes to their billing and IT systems without specifying what, if any, implementation timeframes will be provided, small providers are concerned whether they will get a reasonable opportunity to comply, raising that these sorts of wide-scale changes are expected to take up to 12 months, likely even longer.
“Members have also described being caught between two unworkable options. Large, tier-1 providers may have the scale and margin to absorb new compliance costs, but small providers do not. At the same time, they can’t simply pass those costs on to customers, because larger competitors are cutting prices, and raising prices risks losing customers altogether,” said Clark.
IAA reports that some telcos are actively considering leaving the telecommunications market due to regulation that assumes every telco controls its own network. The proposed regulation fails to reflect the reality of the sector or a smaller provider’s operations and what it can reasonably do. Providers are increasingly concerned about their exposure to liability and large penalties for things outside of their control.
While the IAA highlighted the current focus on the TCP Standard as a fundamental piece of regulatory reform that would require providers to make sweeping changes across their operations, the letter is calling for a measured approach to telco regulation overall.
“A key issue is the volume and speed at which new regulation is being introduced for the sector. A small provider with less than 5 staff, is being expected to make changes across all aspects of its business in short timeframes, simultaneously to meet different regulatory requirements, and often, to address issues it’s not well placed to solve,” said Clark. “If that provider is forced out of the market, and is therefore no longer able to provide Internet to a regional community, whose interests does that serve?”
Narelle will also be appearing at the Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee’s public hearing today on its inquiry into the Online Safety Amendment (Digital Duty of Care) Bill 2026 (DDOC Bill).
“The DDOC Bill is another example of regulation that, as currently drafted, isn’t fit-for-purpose. It proposes to introduce online safety obligations on ISPs despite the fact that as providers of internet access, they simply don’t have the same level of control over what gets shared on top of their network.”
IAA’s response to the Inquiry recommends the removal of internet carriage services from the scope of ‘online services’ captured under the proposed digital duty of care framework, and highlighted deficiencies in the consultation process surrounding the Exposure Draft earlier this year.
“These are all important pieces of regulation and we support the intent to make the Internet a safer place, we’re not disputing that. It’s a matter of making sure the legislation and the policy settings can support that and without proper coordinated reform and meaningful consultation, we’ll end up with regulation that is completely impractical, and simply cannot deliver the intended outcomes.”
What the letter asks for
- Coordinated reform, via a regulatory grid that assesses the cumulative impact of new obligations before they are introduced.
- Meaningful consultation with smaller providers, alongside the major telcos.
- Simpler requirements, consolidating overlapping consumer protection rules.
- Proportionate obligations, reflecting a provider’s size, services, and responsibilities.
- Practical support, including approved templates, training resources, and realistic implementation timeframes.
The full letter is available on the IAA website. IAA invites other telecommunications providers who share these concerns to sign on by emailing policy@internet.asn.au.
Support for IAA’s call for practical, proportionate telecommunications regulation has more than doubled, with over 20 signatories now backing our open letter to the Minister for Communications and Sport. The growing support highlights concerns about the cumulative cost and complexity of regulation and its impact on smaller providers, competition and consumer choice.
The Internet Association of Australia Ltd (IAA) and its Members have written to the Minister for Communications and Sport, the Hon. Anika Wells, seeking a meeting to discuss how telecommunications regulation is designed and applied across the market, and its impact on competition in the sector.
The open letter, supported by 9 small and medium carriers and carriage service providers at the time of publication, argues that regulation prompted by the failures of a small number of large, tier-1 providers is being applied to the whole industry, imposing heavy compliance costs on hundreds of providers that have done nothing wrong.
“Our Members support strong, fit-for-purpose consumer protection, and want to be part of the solution” said Narelle Clark, CEO, “but regulation is restricting the entire industry with little to no regard as to whether the obligations actually make sense for the many small telco operators.”
IAA warns that if the current approach continues, the growing compliance burden, disproportionate obligations, and a lack of practical support from regulators and government will discourage new entrants and push existing providers to leave the market or merge, leaving consumers with less choice and higher prices. Small providers often serve regional and remote communities that are otherwise underserviced, where the loss of competition would be felt most acutely. “This is going to have a chilling effect on competition in the market as small operators are increasingly pushed out, which is not ultimately in the interest of consumers,” said Clark.
IAA says consumers could be left with:
- Fewer choices, as new providers decide not to enter the market and existing ones leave or are absorbed by larger companies.
- Higher prices, as there is less competition to keep bills down.
- Poorer service, as big providers face less pressure to improve.
- Less access in regional and remote areas, where small providers often serve communities that larger companies have left underserviced.
“Challenger providers keep pressure on price, service quality and innovation,” said Clark. “We are asking the Government to support practical, workable measures that keep protections strong and simultaneously the market competitive.”
Whilst the letter highlights the Telecommunications (Consumer Protections) Industry Standard 2026, currently the subject of ACMA consultation as a priority concern, it also broadly calls for:
- coordinated regulatory reform via a telecommunications regulatory initiatives grid
- genuine and meaningful consultation with the breadth of industry and not just the tier-1 telcos
- consolidation of the various consumer protections regulation under one regulatory instrument
- proportionate obligations and liability that reflect the appropriate type of telecommunications services and a provider’s size and role within the communications supply chain
- a review of the threshold used to define a ‘large provider’, and the introduction of corresponding thresholds for ‘medium’ and ‘small’ sized providers; and
- more practical support for small providers in the form of realistic templates that can be adopted by a telco to yield a safe-harbour for compliance.
The full letter and list of requests can be read on the IAA website. IAA invites other telecommunications providers who share these concerns to sign-on in support by emailing policy@internet.asn.au.
IAA and its Members have written to Communications Minister Anika Wells, warning that growing regulatory burdens on smaller telecommunications providers could leave consumers with less choice, higher prices and poorer service. The open letter calls for practical, proportionate regulation that maintains strong consumer protections while supporting a competitive telecommunications market.
Read the open letter and find out how you can add your support.
From selling services to collecting payments and rewarding staff, ACMA’s proposed telecommunications consumer protection rules will mean significant changes across your business.
IAA is holding a Member briefing to explain the proposals, answer questions, and collect feedback to inform our response to ACMA.
The draft Telecommunications (Consumer Protections) Industry Standard 2026 is set to replace the current TCP Code with directly enforceable requirements. Proposed changes cover:
- Critical Information Summaries and information provided to customers.
- Selling practices, sales incentives, and remedies for vulnerable consumers.
- Credit assessment thresholds and affordability checks.
- Payment flexibility and steps required before restricting, suspending, or disconnecting services.
- Staff training, senior executive accountability, and mis-selling reporting.
- Processes for appointing authorised representatives and advocates.
Now is the time to raise practical concerns about what these requirements would mean for your business. Join the discussion to help identify where the proposed Standard needs to change and what Members would need to implement it.
Date: Tuesday, 20 October 2026
Time: 3:30–5:00 pm AEDT
Location: Online via Zoom
Attendance: IAA Members
Members can register now, through the IAA Member Portal:
We’ll send further information ahead of the session to help you prepare. Whether you already have concerns or are still getting across the proposals, your feedback will help shape IAA’s submission.
The consultation closes on 10 November 2026. Read the consultation documents on the ACMA website.
Not an IAA Member?
Access to regulatory briefings, guidance, and opportunities to contribute to our advocacy are among the benefits of membership. Find out about joining IAA.
Questions? Contact policy@internet.asn.au.
Our new IX Australia port pricing is now available, giving Members better value and more choice across every stage of their growth.
Members with existing 100 Gbps and 400 Gbps ports are already enjoying lower month-to-month prices from this month. There is nothing you need to do to receive the new rate.
We have also introduced a new 25 Gbps port option after lab testing and validation of the technology, to give our Members even more choice.
Our flexible month-to-month option remains available across all port sizes but Members who are ready to make a longer-term commitment can save even more:
- Save 5% with a 12-month term
- Save 10% with a 24-month term
- Save 15% with a 36-month term
| Port size | Month-to-month | 12-month term | 24-month term | 36-month term |
| 10G | $350 | $332.50 | $315 | $297.50 |
| 25G | $450 | $427.50 | $405 | $382.50 |
| 100G | $950 | $902.50 | $855 | $807.50 |
| 400G | $2,800 | $2,660 | $2,520 | $2,380 |
All prices are per month.
Whether you want to add a new port, move to a different port size, or take advantage of longer-term pricing, you can review your options now through the Member Portal.
If you would like to discuss which option best suits your network, contact our team at admin@internet.asn.au.
Members can now order longer-term port contracts and make other changes to your services, directly through the IAA Member Portal.
Choose a 12, 24, or 36-month contract when ordering your port and save 5%, 10%, or 15% on the month-to-month price.
Log in to the Portal to review your services and explore the new longer-term options available now.
Attention IAA Members! Please save the date for IAA’s Annual General Meeting 2026.
Date: Wednesday, 11 November 2026
Time: 11:30am AWST/2:30pm AEDT
Location: Via Zoom
We will share the official notifications, nominations, reports, and registrations soon.
Please make sure that your contact details, including your voting contact are up to date in the IAA Member Portal.
We hope you can join us!