{"id":"F2018L00721","name":"Telecommunications (Consumer Complaints) Record-Keeping Rules 2018","slug":"telecommunications-consumer-complaints-record-keeping-rules-2018","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":100097,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2018L00721-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-02","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"9A","sectionType":"section","heading":"Records relating to network outage complaints received","content":"#### 9A Records relating to network outage complaints received\n\nIn relation to the services in operation referred to in subsection 8(1), for each record-keeping period, a qualifying retail carriage service provider must keep records of:\n\n    the total number of network outage complaints received by the provider during the record-keeping period;\n    the total number of Ombudsman referred complaints, that relate to network outage complaints, referred by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman during the record-keeping period;\n    the average number of days taken for the default resolution of a network outage complaint to be implemented during the record-keeping period;\n    the number of network outages that occurred which resulted in one or more network outage complaints.","sortOrder":0},{"sectionNumber":"Endnotes","sectionType":"section","heading":"Endnotes","content":"#### Endnotes\n\nEndnote 1—About the endnotes\n\nThe endnotes provide information about this compilation and the compiled law.\n\nThe following endnotes are included in every compilation:\n\nEndnote 1—About the endnotes\n\nEndnote 2—Abbreviation key\n\nEndnote 3—Legislation history\n\nEndnote 4—Amendment history\n\nAbbreviation key—Endnote 2\n\nThe abbreviation key sets out abbreviations that may be used in the endnotes.\n\nLegislation history and amendment history—Endnotes 3 and 4\n\nAmending laws are annotated in the legislation history and amendment history.\n\nThe legislation history in endnote 3 provides information about each law that has amended (or will amend) the compiled law. The information includes commencement details for amending laws and details of any application, saving or transitional provisions that are not included in this compilation.\n\nThe amendment history in endnote 4 provides information about amendments at the provision (generally section or equivalent) level. It also includes information about any provision of the compiled law that has been repealed in accordance with a provision of the law.\n\nMisdescribed amendments\n\nA misdescribed amendment is an amendment that does not accurately describe how an amendment is to be made. If, despite the misdescription, the amendment can be given effect as intended, then the misdescribed amendment can be incorporated through an editorial change made under section 15V of the Legislation Act 2003.\n\nIf a misdescribed amendment cannot be given effect as intended, the amendment is not incorporated and “(md not incorp)” is added to the amendment history.","sortOrder":1}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This is a discrete, targeted amendment adding a specific record-keeping obligation regarding network outages. It does not appear to have expanded beyond its original purpose of monitoring service quality and consumer complaints in the telecommunications sector."},"complexity_factors":["Single operative provision with only 4 specific record-keeping requirements","Minimal defined terms (relies on definitions from parent Act — Telecommunications Act 1997)","No nested exceptions or conditional logic","No cross-references to other sections within this instrument","Straightforward temporal trigger ('for each record-keeping period')","Standard legislative boilerplate endnotes (not substantive law)"],"plain_english_summary":"This legislation requires certain telecommunications companies (specifically 'qualifying retail carriage service providers' — basically big phone and internet companies) to keep detailed records about customer complaints when their networks go down.\n\n**What they must track:**\n- **How many complaints** they received about network outages during each reporting period\n- **How many complaints** were escalated to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (the independent dispute resolver)\n- **How long it took** on average to fix the problems customers complained about\n- **How many actual network outages** triggered these complaints\n\n**Why this matters:**\nThis creates transparency and accountability. The regulator (the Australian Communications and Media Authority) can use this data to spot patterns — like whether particular providers have frequent outages, take too long to fix problems, or generate lots of Ombudsman complaints. It helps ensure phone and internet companies take network reliability seriously and treat customers fairly when things go wrong."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This instrument imposes targeted record‑keeping obligations specifying four outage‑related metrics to be kept each record‑keeping period (s 9A). It does not, on its face, alter which providers or services are covered (those remain the \"qualifying\" providers and services referenced to s 8(1)) nor change substantive regulatory powers; it narrows the content of records to be maintained rather than changing the scope of regulated entities."},"complexity_factors":["Clear, short list of four specific record types reduces legal drafting complexity (s 9A).","Reliance on terms and scope defined elsewhere (e.g. \"qualifying retail carriage service provider\" and services in s 8(1)) creates cross‑reference complexity.","Practical measurement complexity: calculating an \"average number of days\" for default resolution requires timestamped operational data and business rules for start/end points (s 9A).","Mapping complaints to Ombudsman referrals requires tracking complaint identifiers and referral outcomes across external processes (s 9A).","Administrative and IT implementation costs for data capture, storage, and reporting.","Potential ambiguity about what counts as a \"network outage complaint\" or a single \"network outage\" may require internal policies or regulator guidance (s 9A).","Record‑keeping period alignment with existing obligations may require coordination across compliance systems."],"plain_english_summary":"This rule requires qualifying retail carriage service providers to keep, each record-keeping period, four specific records about network outage complaints: total complaints, Ombudsman-referred complaints, average days to implement a default resolution, and the number of outages that produced complaints (s 9A). The providers bear the cost and effort of collecting and storing these metrics; the requirement creates an operational incentive to measure outage handling and imposes administrative and definitional choices about how complaints, resolutions and periods are identified (s 9A; see cross‑reference to s 8(1))."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/telecommunications-consumer-complaints-record-keeping-rules-2018","history":"/api/acts/telecommunications-consumer-complaints-record-keeping-rules-2018/history","analysis":"/api/acts/telecommunications-consumer-complaints-record-keeping-rules-2018/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/telecommunications-consumer-complaints-record-keeping-rules-2018/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/telecommunications-consumer-complaints-record-keeping-rules-2018/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/telecommunications-consumer-complaints-record-keeping-rules-2018/documents"}}