Fewer Australians complaining about their telco reflects a collapse in consumer confidence, not an improvement in service, peak communications consumer body ACCAN has warned following the release of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) Annual Report 2025-26.
The TIO recorded a 6.5 per cent drop in complaints over the year. But complaints about telcos failing to act on customers' problems topped the list at more than 33,000. Mobile remained the most complained-about service at 46.2 per cent of complaints, and complaints about mobile dropouts rose 22.6 per cent.
These latest figures follow a year of major network outages and Triple Zero failures.
Telecommunications is now the least trusted sector in the Australian economy, and Optus the least trusted brand, according to Roy Morgan.
ACCAN CEO Carol Bennett said falling complaint numbers should be cold comfort for the telcos.
"Fewer complaints should not be mistaken for better service. When consumers have no confidence in their telco and little hope of a fair outcome, many simply stop complaining," Ms Bennett said.
"After years of being let down, the average telco consumer hasn't stopped having problems. They've given up expecting anyone to fix them."
Research by the Consumer Policy Research Centre (CPRC), commissioned by the TIO, found 55 per cent of Australians experienced at least one telco service problem in a year. Of those, 46 per cent did not lodge a complaint, and 40 per cent of those who stayed silent said it was because they believed complaining wouldn't help. Just 9 per cent of Australians were aware of the TIO.
ACCAN strongly supports the TIO's calls for urgent reform to strengthen consumer protections and improve trust through:
- Clear minimum reliability standards so consumers know what to expect
- Baseline compensation arrangements
- Protections that keep pace with changing community expectations
- Accessible external dispute resolution for digital service users
"We are facing a crisis of confidence in this sector, and rebuilding trust will take enforceable reliability standards to drive improvements. Parliament has the opportunity to deliver this through amendments to the Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation (UOMO) Bill next week."
Australians rely on connectivity for work, education, essential service access and to reach help in an emergency. They deserve a system that works, not one that engenders such distrust that even complaining feels useless.
About us:
The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) is Australia's peak communication consumer organisation. The operation of ACCAN is made possible by funding provided by the Commonwealth of Australia under section 593 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. This funding is recovered from charges on telecommunications carriers.
