Australian telecom complaints reach record low levels

Telco complaints in Australia are at their lowest levels since record-keeping began a decade ago, according to a report from Communications Alliance.

The quarterly "Complaints in Context" report highlights a significant decline in phone and internet complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO), averaging 2.7 complaints per 10,000 services across participating telecom companies. This equates to one complaint for every 3,704 services.

For the first time, complaints have remained below three per 10,000 services for consecutive quarters. This data suggests a marked improvement in customer satisfaction within the telecommunications sector.

Luke Coleman, Chief Executive Officer of Communications Alliance, commented on the findings, "This is the third major report over the past month showing that telco complaints are at their lowest levels in decades – a stunning turnaround for the telco industry, and a massive win for customers."

He noted a significant decrease in complaints since the peak of the National Broadband Network (NBN) transition.

"Complaints to the TIO were above 167,000 when the transition to the NBN was at its peak in 2018 – today they're under 57,000, a reduction of more than two-thirds over the past six years," said Coleman.

Reflecting on historical data, Coleman added, "The last time TIO complaints were under 60,000 was two decades ago, in 2004 – that's before the NBN, before the iPhone, and before 3G."

According to recent figures released by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), fewer than 900,000 complaints were made by customers to their telecommunications companies in 2023-24. This is a considerable decrease from the 1.7 million complaints reported when ACMA began publishing these numbers five years ago.

"Telcos have really lifted their game to improve customer service, and that is reflected in this dramatic reduction in complaints," said Coleman.

The "Complaints in Context" report is produced under the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code, requiring the top ten telcos with the most phone and internet complaints to the TIO from the previous financial year to partake in the reporting. Additional participants may join the initiative voluntarily.