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Among the top 10 issues raised by consumers, nine issues registered increases in complaints compared to the previous quarter. The largest increase was noted for no phone or internet service which increased by 44.1 per cent, followed by intermittent service or dropouts which registered a 21.1 per cent increase in complaints since Quarter 1. The TIO also saw complaints about mobile services jump by 23.2 per cent since the previous quarter.
The impact of the 3G network shutdown resulted in 190 complaints in October, increasing to 566 in November, before dropping in December. The majority of 3G shutdown complaints were about problems with reliability of mobile services.
Complaints from small businesses increased 12.8 per cent during the reporting period ending four consecutive quarters of decline. Small businesses were impacted by the shutdown of the 3G network with large increases in complaints recorded for no phone or internet service (up 58.9 per cent) and poor mobile coverage (up 35.4 per cent). Businesses seeking compensation for financial loss also increased 6 per cent compared to the previous quarter.
Complaints coming back unresolved by providers continued to climb, up 14.7 per cent from the previous quarter. The main issues reported in unresolved complaints continue to be no or delayed action by provider, service and equipment fees and intermittent service or dropouts.
Other insights from TIO's October to December 2024 data include:
- Since the last quarter, all states and territories observed a jump in complaints, with the largest increases observed in Northern Territory (up by 49 per cent, an additional 25 complaints), followed by the Australian Capital Territory (up by 35.5 per cent, an additional 55 complaints).
- The top five Local Government Areas with the highest number of complaints were Brisbane (606), Gold Coast (361), Moreton Bay (268), Sunshine Coast (232) and Central Coast-NSW (210), contributing 11 per cent of the total complaints.
- A total of 416 complaints were made by First Nations consumers. The top three complaint issues were no or delayed action by their provider, service and equipment fees, and intermittent service or dropouts.
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