The mobile telecommunications industry is introducing a range of measures to improve customer service through the provision of information on comparative pricing, clearer advertising guidelines and enhanced access to management tools to notify customers of their spending as they approach their designated limit.

The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association CEO, Chris Althaus, said AMTA members had worked on an upgraded Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code in a process led by Communications Alliance.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) today released its final of its Reconnecting the Customer Inquiry.

Mr Althaus said: “There has been widespread recognition by telecommunications service providers that performance relating to customer service and complaints handling across the sector needs to be improved and industry has taken steps towards ensuring those improvements are made.

“ Indeed, significant investments in network infrastructure, upgraded customer service technology and systems and improved practices have been and continue to be made across the industry. The new Code will take this process further.

“The communications sector is a vital one for the Australian economy. A vibrant and competitive market will be the key driver of new and innovative products and applications that will benefit all users. Delivering those products and applications with good customer service is key to success in our market and it is often isolated instances of individual poor conduct that generate adverse perceptions of the broader industry.”

The ACMA’s final report sets out five proposals for changes to the way in which telecommunications service providers deal with consumers:

• Clearer pricing information in advertisements allowing consumers to more easily compare services  

• Improved and more consistent pre-sale information about plans 

• Comparisons between providers based on meaningful performance metrics  

• Tools for consumers to monitor usage and expenditure  

• Better complaints handling and management 

The ACMA has also recommended changes to the TIO scheme.

Working in parallel to the ACMA’s Inquiry, the telecommunications industry has been revising the Telecommunications Consumer Protections (TCP) Code under the auspices of the Communications Alliance and the established co-regulatory framework.

Communications Alliance recently announced details about a unit-pricing scheme included in the revised Code that will provide for unit-pricing information to be provided to customers before sale as part of a summary of offer.

The ACMA has recognised the work already undertaken by industry in revising the TCP Code and has invited industry to incorporate its five proposals in the revised Code. The ACMA anticipates that the revised TCP Code will be finalised by industry at the end of this year.

The ACMA will then assess the revised Code and consider whether to make it a registered code. The ACMA has said that it will carefully monitor industry’s compliance with the revised Code (which will include its own compliance framework) and is keeping in reserve the option to regulate by means of industry rules if the Code is perceived to have any shortcomings.

More information about the final report and the ACMA’s proposals can be found here.