From CommsDay of 29 May 2026
There is a lot going on in the sector and therefore lots of stories in CommsDay to choose from. This week we have selected something slightly different from the ongoing issues associated with spectrum pricing, mobile coverage reporting, and so on. In today’s CommsDay the leading article concerns scamming and the telecommunications sector’s role in addressing it and in compensating scammed victims. The article is also important in setting out what the industry has done in relation to scamming under the present code since 2020. One of the emerging issues is around automated compensation for lower levels of loss to scams
The article refers to the proposed Scams Prevention Framework code and to a Treasury position paper. For those interested to follow up on the subject, these documents may be found on the Treasury website at https://consult.treasury.gov.au/c2026-765133.
Telco sector warns of scam compensation ‘honeypot’ risk
The federal government’s proposal to require automatic compensation for verified scam losses below $3000 could create a “honeypot for fraudsters” unless liability is properly assessed, Australian Telecommunications Alliance chief executive Luke Coleman has warned.
The warning came after assistant treasurer Daniel Mulino formally designated the telco sector under the Scams Prevention Framework, alongside banks and digital platforms. The designation covers voice calls and non-over-the-top message services, with the Australian Communications and Media Authority to regulate the telco rules.
The final telco rules will be made by communications minister Anika Wells. The telco Scams Prevention Framework code is expected to replace the existing anti-scam code, which will eventually be deregistered.
A Treasury position paper released with the proposal said ministerial guidance would make clear that internal dispute resolution processes should be proportionate to the value and complexity of scam losses. It said some low-value complaints could be resolved through streamlined processes but argued there would still be cases where internal dispute resolution was not proportionate to the value of the loss.
“That is why it would be appropriate to automatically reimburse scam victims for verified scam losses below $3,000,” the paper said. It noted that most scam complaints in Australia involved losses below that threshold. The paper suggested reimbursement could be split equally where a scam involved multiple entities regulated under the framework.
Coleman said telcos had already blocked close to 3bn scam calls and more than 1bn scam texts under the industry code enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority since 2020. “The telecommunications sector is committed to protecting Australians from scams, and we are going above and beyond our regulatory requirements to stop scammers in their tracks,” Coleman said.
However he said automatic reimbursement carried material risks. “Other countries with automatic compensation models have seen fraudsters exploit the system, where they are deliberately scammed by someone they know and then seek compensation,” Coleman said. “Any compensation model must have rigorous checks and balances to validate claims and assess liability.”
“Compensation for scams losses should only occur if a regulated company has failed to comply with its regulatory obligations,” he added. “There must be an assessment of liability – if a regulated company has upheld their obligations under the SPF, they should not be expected to pay compensation.”
Coleman also said major scam vectors, including cryptocurrencies, gambling services and dating websites used in romance scams, remained outside the framework. “Scammers are more likely to target these unregulated sectors for their next victims, while regulated sectors are expected to provide automatic compensation without an assessment of liability,” he said.
The draft telco rules would impose a series of know your customer and know your traffic obligations on carriers and carriage service providers. Industry has been working with the Australian Communications and Media Authority on the measures ahead
of the framework’s establishment.
The proposed rules include requirements to block certain types of traffic, offer customers the option of blocking all inbound voice calls and messages from non-Australian numbers and require originating telcos to attach network trust information to traffic where they are satisfied it is legitimate. The network trust obligations are expected to have a delayed implementation date to allow industry to build systems for sharing the information.
Wells said the framework would add to existing anti-scam measures. “Everyone, including the telecommunications industry, has a role to play to stop people being ripped off by dodgy scams,” she said.
“The Scams Prevention Framework is another way the Albanese Government is cracking down on those who are being taken advantage of. ACMA already enforces rules for telcos to identify, track and block scam calls and SMS. Around 109.9 million scam calls and 41.1 million scam SMS were blocked by telcos between October and December 2025 alone.
“Through ACMA, the SMS Sender ID Register, which commences on 1 July, will make it harder for scammers to impersonate branded SMS or MMS. It’s another tool the Albanese Government is adding to our arsenal of the world’s toughest anti-scam laws.”
Rohan Pearce
IN TODAY’S COMMSDAY (Friday 29 May 2026)
The federal government’s proposal to require automatic compensation for verified scam losses below $3000 could create a “honeypot for fraudsters” unless liability is properly assessed, Australian Telecommunications Alliance chief executive Luke Coleman has warned.
NBN Co CEO Ellie Sweeney has revealed the cost of fibre lead-ins has fallen below $1000, down from previous estimates of about $1600, in a shift that could materially improve the economics of the company’s remaining fibre upgrade program.
Communications Compliance will not run a 2026 compliance attestation cycle under the Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code and will wind up the company, marking a further step in the shift towards an Australian Communications and Media Authority-made industry standard.
Data centre investment has driven a record surge in information media and telecommunications capital expenditure, with the sector recording the largest industry increase in private new capital expenditure in the March quarter.
Uniti Group’s Opticomm has revealed that its RSPs will be able to directly connect within Darwin, with a new point of interconnect expected to be live in NEXTDC’s D1 data centre later this year.
The European Commission has proposed reserving a third of the 2GHz mobile satellite services band for the use of government critical communications provided by an EU operator.
Aussie Broadband has launched international mobile roaming across more than 150 countries for customers using the MyAussie app.
Megaport and IT services and consulting provider Orro have jointly launched a managed service offering on-demand private networking and compute capacity across 30 countries.
Plus more
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