It’s time to give telco complaints more context

Analysis of March quarter TIO data highlights the need for contextualised reporting to improve industry debate.

Heath Gibson · Executive Manager – Industry Intelligence and Insights at NBN Australia17 May 2023Period: March Quarter 20234 min read

Last updated 8 June 2026

0.5→

Amaysim complaints per 10k services (March Quarter 2023)

-39%↓

Year-on-year change in 'fault and connection' issues across all categories

Locked

Companies covered:OptusAmaysimSouthern PhoneTelecommunications Industry OmbudsmanCommunications Alliance

Abstract

This report analyses the March quarter complaint data from the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) and the Communications Alliance. While Optus saw a decline in total complaints, its rate of 5.4 per 10k services remains above the industry average of 3.7. The brief argues for four specific reporting improvements, including the integration of contextual data and five-quarter historical views, to provide a more accurate reflection of telco performance and seasonal impacts like weather-related service faults.

Key Takeaways

Optus saw a decline in total TIO complaints, yet its rate of 5.4 per 10k services remains significantly higher than the industry average of 3.7.
Amaysim is the top performer for customer satisfaction with only 0.5 complaints per 10k services, while Southern Phone struggles at 11.8.
Fault and connection issues have dropped 39% year-on-year, falling from 11.7k in March 2022 to 7.1k in March 2023.

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Frequently Asked Questions

The industry average for complaints currently sits at 3.7 per 10,000 services. Optus remains an outlier with 5.4 complaints per 10,000 services, while Amaysim leads the market with a significantly lower rate of 0.5.

Technical reliability is improving, with fault and connection issues declining 39% year-on-year to 7.1k total instances. Mobile coverage has dropped out of the top ten overall complaints, now representing only 8% of mobile-specific issues.

Financial hardship is the critical emerging risk following recent price hikes by major mobile providers. Management must adopt a five-quarter reporting view to distinguish these macroeconomic trends from seasonal impacts like March rainfall.

Southern Phone is the primary underperformer with 11.8 complaints per 10,000 services, more than triple the industry average. This contrast is sharpest against top-tier MVNOs like Amaysim, which maintains a rate of 0.5.

It’s time to give telco complaints more context

Abstract

Key Takeaways

Frequently Asked Questions

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