This is the Telecommunications (Consumer Complaints Handling) Industry Standard 2018.
3 Authority
This instrument is determined under subsection 125AA(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997 and in accordance with sections 5 and 8 of the Telecommunications (NBN Consumer Experience Industry Standard) Direction 2017.
Note: The Telecommunications (NBN Consumer Experience Industry Standard) Direction 2017 was given to the ACMA by the Minister under subsection 125AA(4) of the Act.
4 Application of industry standard
For the purpose of subsection 125AA(1) of the Act:
this instrument applies to participants in the following sections of the telecommunications industry:
carriage service providers; and
carriers responsible for network units that are used in the supply of services by carriage service providers; and
the content of this instrument deals with the handling of consumer complaints about the supply of carriage services by carriage service providers and carriers listed in paragraph (a) in a professional, effective and efficient manner, and reporting about consumer complaints.
5 Definitions
In this instrument:
ACMA means the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
Act means the Telecommunications Act 1997.
advocate means a person nominated on behalf of a consumer to deal with a carriage service provider on the consumer’s behalf, but does not include an authorised representative or a person who has authority to access the consumer’s account information from the carriage service provider.
affected person has the same meaning as in section 5 of the Telecommunications (Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Consumer Protections) Industry Standard 2025.
Note: That standard is a legislative instrument and is available, free of charge, from the Federal Register of Legislation at www.legislation.gov.au
app means a software application a carriage service provider makes available for consumers to access information in connection with its telecommunications products and communicate with the provider.
authorised representative means a person who has authority from a consumer to deal with a carriage service provider on behalf of that consumer as their authorised agent.
bill means an invoice from a carriage service provider which advises a consumer of the total of each billed charge.
billed charge means a charge that is due for payment by a consumer in respect of telecommunications products provided by a carriage service provider.
billing period means a period of time in relation to which a billed charge relates.
bulk resolution offer means an offer made by a carriage service provider to all its consumers who were affected by a network outage, or a class of those consumers, which may include:
(a) an offer to pay a specified amount of compensation determined by the provider; or
(b) an offer to apply a credit to their accounts; or
(c) any other offer.
carriage service provider’s website includes a website controlled by a carriage service provider or another website it has endorsed for managing or receiving complaints.
CCO Standard means the Telecommunications (Customer Communications for Outages) Industry Standard 2024.
Note: The CCO Standard is a legislative instrument registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.
closed, when used in connection with a complaint, means a complaint that is no longer open in the carriage service provider’s complaint management system where:
resolution has occurred and no further action is required by the carriage service provider; or
paragraph 13(1)(l) applies; or
for network outage complaints – the default resolution has been implemented in accordance with section 17D.
communications under the CCO Standard means notices, communications and updates relating to a network outage or restoration of services, that a carriage service provider provides to end-users and the public pursuant to Subdivision 1.2 and Subdivision 1.3 of Part 2 of the CCO Standard.
complaint means:
(a) an expression of dissatisfaction made to a carriage service provider by a consumer in relation to its telecommunications products, the application of its complaints handling process or its network outage complaints handling process, where a response or resolution is explicitly or implicitly expected by the consumer; or
(b) a network outage complaint;
It does not include an initial call to request information or support or to report a fault or service difficulty, unless a consumer advises that they want that call treated as a complaint, nor an issue that is the subject of legal action.
Note: An initial call from a consumer indicating that they cannot establish or maintain connection with a carriage service is a service outage report.
complaints handling process means a consumer complaints handling process established by a carriage service provider pursuant to section 7.
consumer means:
an individual who acquires or may acquire a telecommunications product for the primary purpose of personal or domestic use and not for resale; or
a business or non-profit organisation which acquires or may acquire one or more telecommunications products which are not for resale and which, at the time it enters into the consumer contract:
does not have a genuine and reasonable opportunity to negotiate the terms of the consumer contract; and
has or will have an annual spend with the carriage service provider which is, or is estimated on reasonable grounds by the carriage service provider to be, no greater than $40,000.
A reference to a consumer includes a reference to the consumer’s representative.
consumer contract means an arrangement or agreement between a carriage service provider and a consumer for the supply of a telecommunications product to that consumer, and includes a standard form of agreement formulated by a carriage service provider for the purposes of section 479 of the Act.
default resolution with reference to a network outage complaint, means the outcome of restoring a consumer’s access to a carriage service affected by a network outage such that the consumer can establish and maintain that carriage service.
documented internal processes means a carriage service provider’s documented internal processes mentioned in paragraph 11(b).
documented internal processes for network outage complaints handling means a carriage service provider’s processes mentioned in paragraph 17A(b).
financial hardship assistance has the same meaning as in section 5 of the Telecommunications (Financial Hardship) Industry Standard 2024.
financial hardship customer has the same meaning as in section 5 of the Telecommunications (Financial Hardship) Industry Standard 2024.
internal escalation process means the internal escalation process referred to in subparagraph 11(b)(ii).
internal prioritisation process means the internal prioritisation process referred to in subparagraph 11(b)(i).
live chat service means an electronic communications method a carriage service provider makes available for consumers to communicate directly with the provider using real-time communications or near real-time communications.
major outage has the same meaning as in section 5 of the CCO Standard.
minimum requirements for consumer complaints handling means the minimum requirements for the handling of consumer complaints set out in sections 8, 8A, 9 and 10.
minimum requirements for network outage complaints handling means the minimum requirements for the handling of network outage complaints set out in sections 10B, 10C and 10D.
National Relay Service has the same meaning as in section 5 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999.
natural disaster has the same meaning as in section 5 of the CCO Standard.
near real-time communications has the same meaning as in section 5 of the CCO Standard.
network outage means a major outage or a significant local outage.
network outage communications procedures means the written procedures a carriage service provider has in place to comply with section 19 of the CCO Standard.
network outage complaint means a service outage report where a carriage service provider has determined under section 17B that there is a reason to suspect a network outage is occurring that is affecting or is likely to affect the consumer.
Note: Subsection 17B(4) provides that where a service outage report relates to a network outage and the sole or predominant cause of that outage is a natural disaster, the report is excluded from the requirements relating to network outage complaints under this instrument. In such cases, a carriage service provider must consider if the service outage report is an ordinary complaint under its complaint handling process pursuant to paragraph 17B(1)(c).
network outage complaints handling process means a carriage service provider’s consumer network outage complaints handling process established pursuant to section 10A.
notified mass outage of service means a mass outage of service that is the subject of a notice published in accordance with section 28 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Service Guarantee) Standard 2023.
Note: The Telecommunications (Consumer Service Guarantee) Standard 2023 is a legislative instrument registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.
personal information has the same meaning as in the Privacy Act 1988.
personnel includes staff or contractors engaged by or on behalf of a carriage service provider.
real-time communications has the same meaning as in section 5 of the CCO Standard.
reason to suspect a network outage is occurring includes a situation where the carriage service provider:
(a) is also a responsible carrier required to notify other carriers and carriage service providers of a major outage or a significant local outage pursuant to section 8 of the CCO Standard; or
(b) receives a notification from a carrier about a major outage or a significant local outage under section 8 of the CCO Standard; or
(c) receives information from a carrier that its telecommunications network is experiencing a network outage.
regional Australia has the same meaning as in section 5 of the CCO Standard.
remote Australia has the same meaning as in section 5 of the CCO Standard.
representative means an advocate or an authorised representative.
resolution when used in connection with a complaint, other than a network outage complaint, means the outcome of bringing that complaint to a conclusion in accordance with the requirements of this instrument , irrespective of whether the outcome is in favour of the consumer. It does not include the implementation of that resolution.
resolve when used in connection with a complaint, other than a network outage complaint, means to bring that complaint to a conclusion in accordance with the requirements of this instrument.
responsible carrier has the same meaning as in section 5 of the CCO Standard.
service outage report means an initial call or contact from a consumer to a carriage service provider indicating that they cannot establish or maintain connection with a carriage service.
Note: Where a carriage service provider receives a service outage report, it is required to determine if it is a network outage complaint or it should otherwise be treated as a complaint under section 17B.
significant local outage has the same meaning as in section 5 of the CCO Standard.
social media has the same meaning as in section 5 of the CCO Standard.
subscription broadcasting service has the same meaning as in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.
subscription narrowcasting service has the same meaning as in the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.
telecommunications goods means any goods supplied by a carriage service provider for use in connection with the supply of a telecommunications service, whether or not the goods are supplied in conjunction with, or separately from, a telecommunications service.
telecommunications product means telecommunications goods or a telecommunications service.
telecommunications service means:
a listed carriage service or any service supplied by a carriage service provider in connection with that service; and
a content service (other than a subscription broadcasting service or a television subscription narrowcasting service) provided by a carriage service provider in connection with the supply of a listed carriage service.
TIO means the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.
urgent complaint means a complaint:
where the complaint is made by a consumer who is a financial hardship customer and has applied, or entered into an arrangement, for financial hardship assistance and where the subject matter of the complaint can reasonably be presumed to directly contribute to or aggravate the financial hardship of that consumer.
where disconnection of a service is imminent or has occurred and where due process has not been followed; or
which involves a priority assistance consumer and the service for which they are receiving priority assistance;
where the complaint is made by an affected person who indicates that there is a threat to the safety of that person and/or their children.
urgent network outage complaint means a network outage complaint:
(a) where the consumer indicates that there is a risk to their personal safety or a serious health risk; or
(b) which involves a priority assistance consumer and the service for which they are receiving priority assistance.
Note: working day means:
Note: in Part 2 to Part 5, a day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or gazetted public holiday in the location of the consumer’s premises or principal place of business; and
Note: in Part 6, a day that is not a Saturday, Sunday or gazetted public holiday in the location of the principal place of business of the relevant carrier, first carriage service provider or retail carriage service provider.
Note: A number of other expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Act, including the following:
ACMA;
carriage service;
carriage service provider;
carrier;
listed carriage service;
network unit;
priority assistance;
section of the telecommunications industry;
telecommunications industry;
Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman; and
telecommunications network.
6 References to other instruments
In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears, a reference to any other legislative instrument is a reference to that other legislative instrument as in force from time to time.
Note 1: For references to Commonwealth Acts, see section 10 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; and see also subsection 13(1) of the Legislation Act 2003 for the application of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to legislative instruments.
Note 2: All Commonwealth Acts and legislative instruments are registered on the Federal Register of Legislation which may be accessed free of charge at www.legislation.gov.au.
Section Part 1 - Telecommunications (Consumer Complaints Handling) Industry Standard 2018 - Preliminary | Zoe