Six telcos have been issued with formal directions and one telco has paid a $13,320 infringement notice after ACMA investigations found the companies failed to submit compulsory compliance statements in 2021.
Following the investigations, telcos AirTel, Just ISP, New Sprout, City Communications, 1Telecom and PennyTel were all directed to comply with the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code (TCP Code).
Sydney based telco Exetel paid the infringement notice after previously being directed to comply with the TCP code when it failed to submit its compliance statement in 2019.
Under the code, telcos that supply services to residential and small business consumers must provide compliance attestation statements each year to the independent compliance monitoring body Communications Compliance.
The statements are required to show that a telco has met all of its obligations under the TCP code, which protects customers who use mobile phone, landline and internet services, and includes rules for issues such as:
- advertising and sales information;
- bills and disputes;
- how to assist customers in financial hardship.
- the ways customers can pay;
- how to assess credit for new customers.
Telcos must lodge their 2022 compliance attestation by 1 September 2022.