Australian telecommunications companies must provide regular updates to customers during major network outages under new regulations announced today by the nation's comms watchdog.
The rules set by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) take effect from 31 December 2024 and require telcos to communicate with customers when outages affect more than 100,000 services.
Companies must post updates on their websites and use multiple channels including call centres and media outlets to keep customers informed.
The regulations mandate updates every six hours for the first day of an outage, with more frequent communications if situations change.
Telcos will need to detail the geographic areas affected, likely causes, impacted services, and estimated resolution times.
"Recent examples have shown that telcos are not always as responsive with information during a major outage as they should be," Nerida O'Loughlin, chair of ACMA said.
The new industry standard emerged from recommendations following the Optus network outage of 8 November 2023, implemented through a direction from Communications Minister Michelle Rowland.
ACMA planned additional rules for significant local outages by 30 April 2025, with further regulations covering natural disaster-related disruptions under consideration.
"Communications services are vital to our everyday lives, so when there's a disruption to services it can cause significant inconvenience or even harm for those affected," said O'Loughlin.
The authority encouraged telecommunications companies to prioritise customer updates during all unplanned outages, regardless of scale, while the new regulations take effect.
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