The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) have issued a formal warning to Starlink Internet Services for failing to comply with telco industry rules relating to complaints record-keeping.
After an investigation, the ACMA found that the Elon Musk-owned satellite internet service failed to provide complaint reports within the required time on four occasions between October 2023 and July 2024.
Under the rules, telcos with more than 30,000 active services are required to file complaint reports with the ACMA no later than 30 days after each quarter.
ACMA member Samantha Yorke said it is important for regulators to provide timely complaint records to help the authorities understand issues facing Australian consumers.
“The ACMA monitors telco complaints data to ensure telcos are meeting their obligations towards customers and as a means of tracking where improvements may be needed,” Yorke said.
“Starlink’s failure to submit the required complaints reports in a timely way hampered the ACMA in its role of monitoring whether Starlink is meeting its obligations towards consumers.”
The investigation began when the ACMA became aware that Starlink’s active services had exceeded the 30,000 threshold but had not been providing reports. Starlink has since provided the outstanding complaint report and cooperated with the ACMA throughout the investigation.
While Starlink has grown in popularity, especially in regional Australia, concerns have been raised about the risks it could pose to data security due to being foreign-owned.
