The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has launched a ‘consumer education campaign’ to help consumers experiencing difficulty paying their telco bills.
Launching its Tell your telco – they can help campaign, ACMA said the campaign was aimed at raising awareness of the assistance available to customers having difficulty paying their bills.
“Telecommunications is an essential service,” ACMA said.
“Being connected and having access to a reliable and affordable phone and internet service has become necessary for many people to work and connect to health, education, Government and financial services,” it said.
“It is important customers experiencing financial difficulties are able to keep their phone and internet services through tough times, for maintaining vital social connections and managing their everyday lives.”
ACMA said that if a customer was eligible for financial hardship, a telco must provide them with options to help manage their bill payments and keep their services connected.
It said the new campaign would help customers understand that options were available under consumer protection rules and that they should contact their telco for help if they ever found themselves in financial hardship.
The Media Authority said this could include customers who were unwell; unemployed; experiencing domestic or family violence; affected by a natural disaster; or unable to pay their bill for other reasons.
“With the pressures caused by rising costs of living, it’s more important than ever for telcos to support their customers in difficult circumstances to pay their bills and remain connected to this essential service,” it said.
“The ACMA encourages people who are experiencing difficulty paying their telco bill or facing disconnection to contact their provider for assistance,” the Authority said.
