Telstra chief executive Vicki Brady says Australia’s biggest phone company will pass on higher costs to consumers if it cannot secure the frequencies used to transmit mobile phone signals cheaply - the latest contribution to an ongoing debate over mobile spectrum allocation. ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett said as a public asset, spectrum should be auctioned to ensure it was being managed transparently and fairly.

Top Optus executives ignored red flags raised by internal investigations into fraudulent phone contracts from early 2020 and kept chasing vulnerable customers for thousands of dollars in unpaid debts, the federal court has been told. ACCAN wants consumer sales practices to be directly regulated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, arguing that the current practice of self-regulation isn’t working.

ACCAN on Nine News: For Australians who only use their phones for the basics, finding an affordable low-cost, low-data plan is getting harder. Carol Bennett called on the government to deliver an independent comparison tool for phone plans – just like the Energy Made Easy website – so consumers can easily find the plan that best suits their needs.

Google is facing a $55 million fine after admitting to entering into exclusive agreements with Telstra and Optus that limited consumer choice in mobile search engines for Android users. ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett said the case is a clear signal that digital competition reforms are urgently needed.

Hundreds of thousands of Australians who have email accounts and phone numbers with the iiNet brand owned by TPG Telecom have had data stolen in a cyber breach. Our CEO Carol Bennett says that this breach shows that the federal government needs to stop stalling on reforms to national privacy laws.

'Landmark victory' gets consumers, devs closer to compensation. ACCAN said it welcomed the court’s decision, but urged the federal government to speed up its work on reforming digital competition laws.

The Privacy Commissioner is suing Optus in the Federal Court over the 2022 cyber attack which impacted 9.5 million Australians. Carol Bennett told the SMH/Age that this court action demonstrates how far short Optus fell from what consumers expect and deserve from their telcos.

Come September, NBN speeds are being boosted - at no cost - for many consumers. But only households on certain plans and connection types will realise the extra speed - and this may require extra spend. ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett comments on this in the SMH/The Age 

Australia's privacy watchdog is suing Optus over the 2022 cyber attack that affected the data of around 9.5 million Australians. ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett told the ABC that "changing that [Optus'] culture won't be easy and this very significant action from OAIC is yet another wake-up call for action."

A new report found a bunch of phone companies have been denying customer requests when they're experiencing financial hardship. So, what can you do when you're struggling to pay your phone bill? ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett comments.

ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett joined AM host Sabra Lane and Cynthia Gebert, Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman to cover a new TIO's report which confirms that telcos are falling short of their legal obligations to help Australians in financial hardship, and in some cases, they’re making things worse.

ACCAN CEO Carol told the Sydney Morning Herald / The Age that today's announcement of NBN's partnership with Amazon Kuiper represents a significant step forward in delivering faster, more reliable, and most importantly, more affordable satellite broadband to Australian consumers.

ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett talked to the Financial Review about trials of AI chatbots being used by telco firm TPG to scam the scammers, engaging them in fake conversations to reveal their schemes and the types of organisations they are impersonating.

Whether you’re working, studying, relaxing or just spending time with your family, anything’s better than getting stuck trying to cancel a service. ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett joined ABC Sydney's James O'Loughlin to back Senator Fatima Payman 'Click To Cancel' campaign — pushing for fairer, simpler subscription cancellations. [Interview begins at top of program]

ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett joined Senator for Western Australia Fatima Payman in Canberra to launch the ‘Click to Cancel’ campaign, calling for reform to ensure that cancellation processes are quick and simple, free from tricks and stalling tactics that have become all too common.

Peak communications consumer body ACCAN is calling on the 48th Parliament to act on long-awaited reforms to ensure accessible, affordable and reliable communications for all Australians.

Optus has scrapped plans to appoint an independent consumer advocate announced after the telecoms giant was sued for selling unneeded products to vulnerable customers, ultimately paying a $100 million fine.

ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett told the AFR that that, while advocates could help reshape a poor corporate culture, it was more important to talk directly to consumers.

In an opinion piece for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media, ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett writes that the Federal Budget is under pressure, the global economic outlook is volatile and cost-of-living pressures continue to hammer Australian families. And yet the communications regulator is proposing the federal government on a policy approach which could forgo up to $3.2 billion in revenue.

Spectrum is the invisible highway which powers our communications services - and it is a public asset worth billions.

Instead of holding a spectrum auction as we have done for decades and in keeping with international best practice, the regulator wants to roll over existing licences, giving major telco players a significant advantage, leaving Aussie taxpayers out of pocket an estimated $2–3.2 billion, and hampering competition and innovation.

ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett spoke to ABC News to unpack what’s at stake.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is proposing renewing spectrum licences for up to $3.2 billion less than they were initially bought for.

In this ABC piece, ACCAN argues that an auction would provide a better return for taxpayers, and a renewal of licences would entrench the dominance of current players.

ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett joined Narelle Graham on ABC South Australia Regional Drive to discuss satellite-to-mobile phone services, the partnerships Australian telcos have with Starlink, and the difference government universal service reform can make for consumers.

Interview begins at 2:02:10.

Right now, the southern Queensland town of Dalby has no mobile coverage, no internet, no EFTPOS and no ATMs. The disruption will last two weeks.

Speaking with ABC Brisbane, ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett discussed the serious impact of losing access to essential communications — why it is happening in Dalby and what residents and businesses can do to make life a little easier.

ACCAN has today welcomed the announcement from Minister for Communications Anika Wells that the Telecommunications (Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence Consumer Protections) Industry Standard 2025 has been finalised and will come into effect on 1 July 2025 as a crucial milestone for Australians experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence.

Australia’s peak communications consumer body, ACCAN, has welcomed news that Optus will pay one of the largest consumer law penalties in Australian history - a $100 million fine, subject to court approval, for unconscionable conduct.

Peak communications consumer body ACCAN has expressed concern following today’s news that Telstra has been fined for failing to maintain access for more than 12 hours to the 106 emergency call service used by Australians with hearing and speech impairments.

ACCAN, the national peak body representing communications consumers, congratulates the Albanese Labor Government on its re-election and a clear mandate from the Australian community for reforms and policies that ensure Australia leads as a nation that supports growth, productivity and wellbeing of its citizens.

With the recovery from ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred underway—and many parts of Australia's east coast still experiencing significant rain and flooding—attention must soon turn to how new communications technology that can support those in emergency situations due to natural disasters, says peak communications consumer body ACCAN.

Australia’s peak communications consumer body, ACCAN, has today called for the weak and ineffective industry-drafted Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code to be scrapped in favour of robust and enforceable industry standards that better protect Australian consumers.

The opinion piece below was written by ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett for The Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. It was originally published on 29 January 2025.

One of the most important bills to come before the Federal Parliament prior to the looming election will be a proposed framework for preventing scams.

The opinion piece below was written by ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett for the Canberra Times and Australian Community Media. It was originally published on 24 March 2025.

When our phones and internet are knocked out in natural disasters - such as occurred in the recent cyclone and flooding in northern NSW and south-east Queensland – it’s not just inconvenient, it puts lives at risk. Being disconnected makes it difficult to know what is happening, seek help – or even to offer help - support others and reassure family and friends.

Preliminary research commissioned by the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) raises alarm bells for policymakers and regulators. Findings point to widespread consumer harm and deep mistrust in the telecommunications industry.

Australia’s peak communications consumer body, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network – ACCAN, is calling on the major parties to commit to a concessional internet product delivered by NBN Co to provide a cost-of-living boost to low-income Australians this Federal election.