NBN agrees to pay up for missed appointments, faults and slow speeds in new proposal
Technician didn’t show? Got a fault that’s not fixed? The NBN could be paying you back for trouble with your internet connection. See how much cash you could receive.
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Australian broadband users could receive hundreds of dollars for missed appointments, poor performance and ongoing problems with the National Broadband Network after the company behind the project backflipped over rebates.
But the fees could be lower than first proposed — and in some cases half of what had been recommended by Australia’s consumer watchdog.
Telecommunications experts welcomed the announcement today, as well as work to ensure the paybacks were passed directly on to consumers when they were introduced, which could be as early as December.
Work on changes to the NBN’s pricing structure recommenced today after five-month pause is the NBN Wholesale Standards Inquiry due to the coronavirus pandemic.
As part of the inquiry, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission recommended NBN Co pay rebates of $75 for missed appointments, up to $1150 when faults were not fixed for 40 days, and $20 each month a service didn’t meet download speed standards.
NBN Co has countered with their own proposal, offering lower rebates of $10 a month when it did not meet download speed standards, $15 rather than $20 a day when it failed to rectify service faults for standard connections, and $50 for its first missed appointment.
Subsequent missed appointments would attract a $75 rebate, however, or half that if a technician showed up outside the “agreed appointment window” but the customer was home.
The Australian Communications and Media Authority also announced it planned to introduce new rules to ensure consumers were paid the NBN rebates automatically,
The regulations would ensure fees were passed on to consumers “in monetary form or in kind” and that NBN service levels were clearly defined for customers, including what happens “when these levels are not met”.
Despite the lower rebates proposed, Australian Communications Consumer Action Network chief executive Teresa Corbin welcomed NBN Co’s change in approach, saying consumers had “the right to know what level of service they can expect from their internet service provider”.
Ms Corbin said it was also vital that customers received the refunds directly.
“It is not the telcos who are inconvenienced when an NBN technician doesn’t show up when they promised to do so — it is consumers,” she said.
“Having an automatic pass-through of rebate payments to consumers is a logical and welcome step by the ACMA.”
Complaints about missed appointments, ongoing faults and slow service have been ongoing issues for the NBN throughout its rollout.
The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman’s latest annual report showed complaints about connecting to the network or changing providers rose to 11,635 during 2018-19, and 23,362 customers complained about service quality, with the ratio of customer complaints rising.
But NBN Co’s recent financial results showed it had improved service levels since early stages of the rollout, with 91 per cent of installations now considered “right first time,” installation times met on 96 per cent of occasions, and eight faults per 1000 premises after installation.
The NBN’s rollout was due to be completed at the end of June but many premises still remain, with 11.7 million deemed ready to connect to the network and 7.4 million households and businesses using it.
NBN Co proposes its Wholesale Broadband Agreement 4 changes be introduced by December 1.
ACCC chairman Rod Sims said the Commission would seek submissions from the public about the proposals by September 11, but viewed them favourably.
“Our current view is that NBN Co’s proposals are reasonable but we want to hear from others,” Mr Sims said.
HOW MUCH YOU COULD CLAIM UNDER NBN CHANGES
Missed connections: $7.50 per business day for up to 30 days (a maximum of $225), or $10 per business day for priority assistance customers (up to $300)
Service faults: $15 per business day for up to 60 days ($900) or $20 per business day for priority assistance customers (up to $1200)
Missed appointments: $50 for an initial missed appointment, $75 for subsequent appointments, or half these figures if the technician shows up on the right day but outside the appointment window
Poor download speeds: $10 per month for three months if a connection cannot reach its promised peak speed and is deemed to be in remediation, rising to $15 per month between months four and six, and $20 per month from six months.
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Originally published as NBN agrees to pay up for missed appointments, faults and slow speeds in new proposal