ACMA starts court action against TPG over 000 access

For the period of six months between March 2011 and September 2011, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is alleging that TPG failed to give certain customers and other end-users access to the Triple Zero emergency call service. By failing to do so, ACMA has claimed that TPG breached the Telecommunications (Emergency Call Service) Determination of 2009.

This determination requires that carriage service providers give users access to emergency call services, unless it is not technically feasible to do so or a matter beyond the control of the provider materially, and adversely, affects the technical ability to give the access.

"All Australians need to be assured that their telecommunications provider attaches the utmost priority to Triple Zero access," said ACMA chairman Chris Chapman. "We take any issues with access to the Triple Zero service very seriously."

TPG has been no stranger to the Australian Federal Court this year.

In June, the company was hit with a AU$2 million fine over the issue of misleading ads. On that occasion, the company was taken to court by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission regarding an advertising campaign that occurred in the later-half of 2010 .

The company made an undertaking to allow any customer who felt that they were deliberately misled by the ads to be able to walk away from their contracts in July.

TPG also had to pay AU$13,200 in fines to the ACCC for misleading advertising in April.