MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIX LOCAL NBN ISSUES

14 March 2018

Labor is calling for more to be done to improve NBN customer experience for residents and businesses across Ipswich and the Somerset region.

Shadow Minister for Regional Communications, Stephen Jones MP, said the Turnbull Government needed to step in and improve Australias telecommunications consumer framework and put an end to continued delays, disruptions, and the NBN ping-pong.

Mr Jones said Ipswich locals were sick and tired of raising issues and getting nowhere. Queensland recorded over 12,300 internet complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman in 2017 alone.

The lived experience of people in Ipswich and the regions across Australia is very different to the spin being put about by NBN and the Turnbull Government, Mr Jones said

Time and time again, the LNP have sat back and hoped that issues will fix themselves. They have not.

Its time the Turnbull Government step in, look at the whole system and put in place measures that will put an end to the faults, the failures and customers being bounced between their Retail Service Provider and NBN Co.

Federal Member for Blair, Shayne Neumann MP, said his office was constantly dealing with complaints from local business and residents about Malcolm Turnbulls second-rate NBN.

Things need to change. When locals are experiencing continuous phone and internet disruptions, missed appointments and have no path or action for remediation the Turnbull Government must step inand do something, Mr Neumann said.

Labor has long called for an update to Australias telecommunications consumer-rights framework to include real consumer protections and guarantees.

Its time the Turnbull Government gets off the sideline, gets its act together, and fix this mess.

Locals can also share their experiences and stories with Parliaments NBN Oversight Committee which is conducting an inquiry into the NBN in regional and rural Australia.

The Committee is accepting submissions until 29 March 2018 and seeking feedback from local residents, business and consumer groups. More information about the Committee, its inquiry and submissions, can be found here.

Labor will continue to fight to ensure consumers on the NBN get a better deal. Australians deserve a real broadband network that delivers the speeds and reliability they need for their businesses, education and a truly digitally enabled society.