Maranoa MP David Littleproud has slammed Telstra for abandoning their rural customers, as service issues in Maranoa continue to escalate.
“People in the bush are at their wits’ end with Telstra, with landline and mobile outages often lasting weeks,” Mr Littleproud said.
“It is putting lives at risk and impacting the productivity of the very people who put food on our nation’s tables.
“While Telstra is a fully private company, they are obligated under the Universal Service Obligation to maintain standards but it is clear now Telstra just doesn’t care.
“In 2020, more than 178 Telstra issues were reported to my office – that’s about one report every second day – and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
“The big problem is Telstra can take up to six working days from the time an issue is reported to them, to make contact with the affected customer, let alone rectify the issue – it’s just not good enough.
“It’s obscene to think that while Telstra’s CEO Andy Penn sits in his inner-city office every day with reliable telecommunications services, people in our country towns go without.
“I wrote to Mr Penn a number of times last year seeking investigation of various customer issues and requested Telstra lift their game in the bush.
“Unfortunately, the problems are continuing, and I believe they’re getting worse.
“Telstra claims to be committed to their customers in regional and rural Australia, but I am yet to see Telstra deliver on this promise.
“I encourage residents of Maranoa experiencing issues with Telstra to contact my office on (07) 4662 2715, as I will raise their issues with Telstra, and continue to put pressure on Mr Penn to do better for Australia’s rural communities.”
Telstra customers with ongoing issues can also contact the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman by phone on 1800 062 058.
