Each year, the TIO says it receives around 30,000 phone and internet complaints from consumers living in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia.
The TIO is uniquely placed to share its data and insights on the telco problems experienced by regional rural and remote consumers.
The TIO says that complaint data shows service reliability, poor service coverage, lack of choice, and weak or damaged network infrastructure remain key concerns for consumers living in regional, rural, and remote Australia.
| |
Consumers in regional, rural, and remote communities rely on telecommunications services to stay connected to family, emergency and support services, work and study from home, and run small businesses, the TIO said.
Ombudsman Judi Jones said, “Consumers living in regional communities continue to have reduced access to telecommunications services.
“Regional communities face unique challenges in having a fault repaired or being able to access an alternative service. They also face a greater risk in natural disasters, such as bushfires and floods, where reliable telco services play a critical role in co-ordinating disaster response and recovery.
“Providing better access to information about available services could allow consumers to make more informed decisions, encourage competition, and bridge the telco divide between metropolitan and regional, rural and remote Australia.”
The TIO suggested improvements to telco services and infrastructure include:
- Promoting a wider range of telecommunications services in regional communities through grants and other investment incentives.
- Standardising mobile coverage information that is provided by telcos and publishing up to date information about what services are available in regional areas.
- Offering government-subsidised mobile devices that can access both standard mobile networks and satellite networks.
- Constructing communal connectivity hubs for remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities offering voice, SMS, and data access to members of the community.
To read the TIO submission in full go here.
This first appeared in the subscription newsletter CommsWire on 20 October 2021.
