Customer Communications for Outages Policy

1.1. This document sets out Quokka Net’s written procedures as a carriage service provider for the purposes of section 19 of Part 3 of the Telecommunications (Customer Communications for Outages) Industry Standard 2024 (the Standard), outlining the steps Quokka Net will follow to communicate with end-users¹ and the public during a major outage or significant local outage, in compliance with the Standard. These procedures also specify how Quokka Net will manage real-time communications or near real-time communications with end-users requiring urgent assistance during a major outage or significant local outage.

1.2. Words in bold italics in this document shall have the same meaning as defined in the Standard.

¹ End-users refers to customers of Quokka Net receiving carriage services. Pursuant to sections 12(5) and 12A(5) of the Standard, where Quokka Net supplies relevant carriage services to a person other than an individual (relevant customer), the relevant customer is taken to be the end-user for the purposes of complying with notification requirements.

2.1. Process

1. Upon receiving notification of a relevant outage from a carrier, Quokka Net shall begin the notification process to the relevant parties as outlined below.
2. As part of the communication process for a relevant outage and to support end-users and the public who may require urgent assistance, Quokka Net will make the following contact methods available during the outage for real-time communications and near real-time communications, as far as is reasonably practicable. These methods will include:
   1. Real-time communication: 1800 663 977
   2. Near real-time communication: Livechat on our website (quokkanet.au)
   3. Email: [email protected]
   4. Website: quokkanet.au
   5. Social Media: QuokkaNet
3. Quokka Net will ensure that these contact methods:
   1. are easily accessible to end-users or the public as applicable;
   2. are adequately resourced to handle requests;
   3. are capable of responding immediately to requests for urgent assistance;
   4. allow an end-user to live chat with, or talk to, a representative of Quokka Net; and
   5. do not rely on artificial intelligence.

3.1. Process

1. Quokka Net shall notify each affected end-user as soon as practicable after receiving notification of a major outage or significant local outage from a carrier.
2. The notification shall be made using at least one of the following communication methods:
   1. a service application made available to end-users by Quokka Net;
   2. email; or
   3. SMS.

3.2. Content

The notification shall include the following information, as available at the time:

1. the scale or suspected scale of the outage including the number of relevant services impacted;
2. the cause or likely cause of the outage (however, this is not required to be given if Quokka Net has reasonable grounds to believe that disclosing this information could compromise its telecommunications network security or national security);
3. the geographic areas impacted or likely to be impacted by the outage;
4. the types of carriage services impacted or likely to be impacted by the outage;
5. the estimated timeframes for updates in relation to the outage;
6. the estimated timeframe for restoration of the relevant services affected by the outage; and
7. contact details for obtaining further assistance, such as phone number, email or social media account.

3.3. Timing

1. The notification shall be sent as soon as practicable after the receipt of the carrier’s notification of the outage.

4.1. Process

1. As soon as practicable after receiving notification about a major outage or significant local outage from a carrier, Quokka Net shall communicate with the public using:
   1. Quokka Net’s website;
   2. Quokka Net’s call centres;
   3. at least one of the following communications channels:
      1. Quokka Net’s primary social media account for major outages; or
      2. One or more types of other media for major outages.
2. In making notifications to end-users, Quokka Net shall take reasonable steps to ensure that the method or channel used in communicating with the public is the one most likely to reach the public based on Quokka Net’s understanding of the major outage or significant local outage.

4.2. Content

1. The communication shall include the same information as per clause 3.2 above.

4.3. Timing

1. The notification shall be made as soon as practicable after Quokka Net receives a notification of a major outage or significant local outage from a carrier.

5.1. Process

1. Quokka Net shall provide updates about the major outage or significant local outage to the relevant parties in clauses 3 and 4 above and in the same manner as the initial communication, at specified intervals as outlined in clause 5.3 below until the relevant services affected by the outage are fully restored.

5.2. Content

The updates shall include:

1. if there is a material change regarding the outage, details about the material change; or
2. if there has been no material change to the outage, a statement that there has been no material change to the outage.

5.3. Timing

The notification shall be provided:

1. if there is a material change, as soon as practicable after becoming aware of the material change;
2. otherwise:
   1. every six hours for the first 24 hours after the outage is detected; and
   2. once every 24 hours thereafter until the relevant services affected by the major outage or significant local outage are fully restored.

6.1. Process

1. As soon as practicable after relevant services affected by a major outage or significant local outage have been restored, Quokka Net shall notify the public and each end-user that Quokka Net was required to notify under clauses 3, 4 and 5 above, in the same manner as was previously provided.
2. However, notice under this paragraph is not required to be provided to end-users for outages that are solely or predominantly caused by a natural disaster.

6.2. Content

1. The communication shall confirm that the relevant services affected by the outage have been restored.

6.3. Timing

1. The notification shall be made as soon as Quokka Net considers that all services affected by a major outage have been restored.

7.1. Quokka Net shall always comply with these written procedures. If any inconsistency arises between these written procedures and the requirements under the Standard, the requirements under the Standard shall take precedence.

8.1. These written procedures are current as of the date they are published on Quokka Net's website. Quokka Net may update or revise them periodically to reflect changes in legal requirements. Any updates will be made available on this page.