The Australian Communications and Media Authority has set out how it plans to enforce new rules on services delivered over the NBN. Providers not implementing the service standards risk fines of up to AUD 10 million.
The new rules require telecom providers to help consumers get the information they need to make informed choices, have service options if issues arise, and address consumer complaints effectively and in a timely manner. Separate research published by the ACMA shows that three in 10 households (31%) and four in 10 businesses (42%) had made at least one complaint to their provider over services on the NBN.
The new rules will be directly enforceable by the ACMA and, where breaches are found, allow the ACMA to commence court proceedings seeking remedies such as injunctions and civil penalties. The regulator said operators need to "take immediate steps" to implement the rules in their business practices and it has already commenced a targeted program of monitoring, audits and investigations to ensure compliance.
The regulator also released detailed findings of the research report 'NBN consumer experience: Households and businesses—the end-to-end journey', which looks at the experiences of NBN users. Research conducted from November 2017 to February 2018 asked consumers about their experience of moving to and using services in the previous 12 months, and the results were used to help develop the new service rules.
Source: https://www.telecompaper.com/news/acma-issues-enforcement-guidelines-for-nbn-service-rules--1257647