Telecommunications providers must act now to ensure compliance with the below major regulatory changes coming into force from as early as 30 June 2025:
- Telecommunications (Consumer Complaints Handling) Industry Standard Amendment 2025 (No. 1) – Commencing 30 June 2025
- Telecommunications (Customer Communications for Outages) Industry Standard Variation 2025 – Commencing 30 June 2025
- Telecommunications (Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Consumer Protections) Industry Standard 2025 – Commencing 1 July 2025
We have updated template packs provided on the IAA Member Portal to assist Members with their compliance obligations, but it is important Members understand new requirements arising from recent regulatory reform.
1. Expanded Complaints Handling Framework
From 30 June, telco providers will have to comply with new obligations in relation to handling complaints from consumers including:
- New “Network Outage Complaint” Category:
A new “network outage complaint” is now explicitly defined to align with the Telecommunications (Customer Communications for Outages) Industry Standard 2024. If a consumer reports loss of service and the provider suspects a network outage is occurring (either a major outage or significant local outage), the report must be treated as a formal network outage complaint
- Network Outage Complaints Handling Process:
Providers must establish a separate, documented process for handling network outage complaints and publish it on their website. IAA’s Template Complaints Handling Policy has been updated to include network outage complaints, and is available on the IAA Member Portal.
- Resolution Standards for Network Outage Complaints:
A network outage complaint is resolved once:- Service is restored, and
- A bulk resolution offer (e.g. compensation or credit) is communicated (if offered)
- Natural Disaster Exclusion:
Complaints related to outages triggered solely by natural disasters may be handled through standard complaint processes instead. - Improved Accessibility:
The ACMA have also introduced other changes unrelated to network outage complaints in relation to making complaints and complaints handling process more accessible. This includes, amongst other things, maintaining a direct link on the telco’s homepage and the help or support section of its website to display a list or table of each of the contact details the provider makes available to receive complaints, along with a statement that these contact points can be used to make a complaint.
2. Enhanced Communications During Outages
The Telecommunications (Customer Communications for Outages) Industry Standard has also been updated to introduce obligations in relation to ‘significant local outages’, which commence 30 June. Please note, obligations already exist in relation to ‘major outages’.
Variation Highlights:
- New defined term – ‘significant local outages’
‘Significant local outage’ is defined as unplanned adverse impact to your telco network that results in an end-user unable to establish and maintain a carriage service which affects:- ≥1,000 SIOs in regional Australia for a period of over 6 hours;
- ≥250 SIOs in remote Australia for a period of over 3 hours.
- Notification obligations in relation to a significant local outage
Carriers and CSPs must notify and communicate with select persons and groups at different stages including initial notification, regular updates, updates of material changes, and service restoration. IAA provides updated template kits including template notifications and communications that carriers and CSPs can send out in relation to both major outages and significant local outages in the IAA Member Portal. - Written Procedures
Telcos must update their public-facing Network Outage Communications Policy to include their procedures in relation to a significant local outage. A template policy is also included in the Template Kit provided by IAA.
3. New Protections for Persons Affected by Domestic, Family & Sexual Violence
ACMA has introduced a new industry standard to establish protections for persons affected by domestic, family and sexual violence. While the Standard commences from 1 July, telcos will have a longer timeframe to comply with many of the requirements. Below are only the compliance requirements that begin from 1 July:
- Reversal of service limitation for affected persons (s 13(3)-(5)):
If a service has been limited (e.g. suspended or disconnected), and the affected person urgently requests reversal due to a DFV safety risk, the telco must urgently reverse it on first contact, or offer an equivalent service if reversal isn’t practical. However, reversal isn’t required where doing so would breach another Commonwealth law (e.g. emergency call service obligations).
Must not require affected persons to engage with perpetrator (s 15(1)):
Telcos must not require a person affected by DFV to contact or interact with the perpetrator of the DFV or the perpetrator’s authorised representative. - Information about support offered (s 16)
Telcos must publish information on their website about the support they offer to people affected by domestic and family violence. If they don’t yet offer specific support, they must publish contact details for external support organisations and indicate when their own support services will become available. - DFV Policy (s 19-20)
Telcos must develop and implement a domestic and family violence (DFV) policy, that is approved by the telco’s most senior executive, and develop supporting procedures that meet specific standards. Large providers have 6 months, and small providers 9 months from 1 July to comply. - General DFV Training (s 21)
All personnel must receive DFV training, which can be delivered internally or via an expert 3rd party. Large providers have 9 months, and small providers 12 months from 1 July to complete training, with annual refreshers of the training to be completed. - Specialised DFV Training for Customer-Facing Staff (s 22)
Personnel in customer service, or likely to deal with DFV issues must complete specialised DFV training which covers applying the telco’s DFV policy and procedures, nature of DFV and its relationship to telco services, how to identify affected persons, intersectionality and DFV, engaging with affected persons, and recognising and prioritising safety of affected persons and the safety of personnel engaging with perpetrators. The specialised DFV training can be tailored to the role of the personnel, and may be delivered internally or via an expert 3rd party. Large providers have 9 months, and small providers 12 months from 1 July to complete training, with annual refreshers of the training to be completed. - Consultation requirements (s 32)
From 1 July, telcos must consult with and consider feedback from DFV support services and either people with lived experience or organisations representing at-risk groups when developing DFV policies and procedures (s 19), and training (s 21-22). Large providers must consult directly; small providers may do so via an industry body.
A large provider means a provider with at least 30,000 SIOs, and a small prover is a provider with less than 30,000 SIO.
Please note, IAA is considering whether and how to undertake the consultation requirements on behalf of our members that fall under the ‘small provider’ category. If you are interested in being represented by IAA, please let us know by contacting policy@internet.asn.au.
What Telcos Must Do
Compliance Area | Required Actions |
Complaints Handling (30 June) | Update processes and policies to handle and display network outage complaints separately. Update website to specify points of contact to make complaints. Ensure staff are trained to appropriately handle any network outage complaints as such. |
Network Outage Communications (30 June) | Update internal processes to ensure communications are sent in relation to significant local outages. Update public facing policy to include communications processes in relation to significant local outages. |
DFSV Protections (1 July) | Ensuring staff understand all obligations that will commence from 1 July that relate to persons affected by DFV – e.g. not requiring affected persons to contact perpetrators, reversing service limitations. Updating website to specify support information. Undertaking consultation requirements to develop DFV Policy, procedures and training. Training staff. |
If you have any questions about the any of the new regulation, please contact us at policy@internet.asn.au.
