Complaints about Australian mobile services now make up the majority of issues lodged with the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman.

Total complaints during the last financial year decreased by 33.4 per cent across the board. This marks the largest percentage reduction in 10 years, and — with 79,534 complaints — the lowest volume in the past three years.

Mobile complaints, however, have increased in percentage terms, now making up 39.7 per cent of all complaints.

31,556 of complaints to TIO were about mobile services, compared to 26,989 complaints about internet services.

All issues decreased in volume, across landline, mobile, and internet service, except for poor mobile coverage, which increased 6.1 per cent.

Specifically, complaints about having a partially restricted mobile service increased 12.4 per cent, and mobile complaints about service drop outs have increased 9.9 per cent.

Poor customer service, and problems with a bill, were the most common problems reported by consumers. Connection delays, failing to cancel a service, and billing issues dropped in volume by over 40 per cent.

Interestingly, complaints about telcos being uncontactable no longer feature in the top ten issues.

In terms of individual providers, complaints about Telstra decreased by 43.7 per cent, while complaints increased for Medion, who offer ALDImobile services, Aussie Broadband, and Dodo.

While these three companies pall in market share compared to the big three, it is worth noting that every other telco saw a double-digit drop in complaints.

“While we’ve seen some great improvements, Australia’s telcos need to do more to resolve complaints about mobile services, including poor mobile coverage, before consumers come to my office for help,” Omsbudman Cynthia Gebert said.

Despite the increase in the proportion of overall complaints, the absolute volume of mobile complaints actually declined from last year, from 39,094 to 31,556 in 2021-22.