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Global Operation Sees Infamous ‘Microsoft’ Scammers Finally Taken Down [Updated]
An international operation four years in the making between Australian, North American and Canadian authorities has taken down one of the world’s largest — and coincidentally most annoying — fraud groups: the infamous phone scammers posing as Microsoft tech support employees. Here’s how it all went down.
New Zealand Roaming Rorts To Continue
Australia and New Zealand often boast of their close relationship, but if you use a mobile phone from Australia in New Zealand or vice versa, you’ll pay the same ludicrous roaming charges that apply to countries on the other side of the world. A joint government investigation which began back in May 2010 has finally issued a draft report, but all we’re going to get from it is a direction to make pricing clearer. Fat lot of help that is.
ACMA Gives Green Light To 3D Olympics
Looks like Channel 9′s mooted 3D Olympics channel will be happening — but not across the entire nation. The Australian Communications and Media Authority has given approval for Channel 9 to broadcast the Olympics in 3D in Adelaide, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney.
Australian 4G Frequencies Explained [Updated]
1800MHz? 2100MHz? 700MHz? What frequencies are Australian 4G networks on right now, and what does the future hold? Here’s what you need to know.
Nokia Fined $55K For Aussie SMS Spam
Nokia got busted by ACMA today to the tune of $55,000 for sending out spam SMS to customers. Ouch!
Optus Promises Not To Breach Do Not Call List Any More
The ACMA has published and is starting to publicise Optus’ undertaking in regards to its telemarketing activities, some of which were a bit on the annoying side. I can say that personally; the letter the ACMA sent me after a complaint is after the jump.
TIO Customer Service Survey Highlights Telco Run Arounds
Hands up if you work in a call centre? Two hands up if it’s for a telco. I feel your pain. I’ve had sojourns at both One.Tel and Vodafone in the past (yeah, I should stick to writing). It’s tough navigating issues from the inside, let alone as a customer — which is why I’m not shocked by new data released by the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) today. For instance, 39 per cent of the 516 customers surveyed tried more than 6 times to resolve issues, and around 20 per cent spent over 9 hours doing so.
Aussie Telcos To Battle Government Over Confusing Caps
Back in May, the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) drafted a report that called for telcos to lift their game. Recommendations included ending advertising with misleading terms like cap or free, and notifying you when you’ve hit a certain amount of usage. The response submitted by the telcos was released this week, and included fun tidbits like “providing more information about telephone pricing and plans would only confuse consumers.”
Mobile Plans: How Much Data And Calls Do You Really Get?
Back in May, the Australian Communication and Media Authority (ACMA) reported what you and I already knew: “The complexity of plans and how they are framed make it virtually impossible to compare them accurately.” That got local price comparison site, WhistleOut, crunching the numbers, and the result is this fantastic infographic.
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