Hello and welcome to Tuesday. We’ve got five things happening in the tech world to sink your teeth into.
1. ACMA wants telcos to do better
A new report from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has shown the telecommunications industry continues to let down customers who are facing financial hardship. The Financial hardship in the telco sector report found that in the last 12 months, almost 2.4 million Australians experienced difficulty paying or had concerns with their telco bills. We looked into the financial hardship arrangements in place by 11 telcos. Read more over here.
2. New comms to help with emergencies
With the 2023-24 federal Budget now only a week away, the government is drip-feeding us announcements. After announcing a scam registry was on its way with a $10 million cash injection last week, this week we’re learning about a new cell broadcast National Messaging System, which will also be accompanied by a $10 million investment to establish a central Taskforce to drive the delivery of a “Public Safety Mobile Broadband (PSMB) capability”.
(1/3) Being able to communicate effectively during an emergency is often a matter of life and death.
That’s why, in the 2023-24 Budget, the Albanese Government is rolling out a new cell broadcast National Messaging System (NMS). pic.twitter.com/KEDvYdewZ1
— Michelle Rowland (@MRowlandMP) May 1, 2023
(3/3) These measures will improve our ability to respond to natural disasters or emergencies, and help keep Australians safe from harm.
— Michelle Rowland (@MRowlandMP) May 1, 2023
3. Questacon gets some much-needed love
Also getting a funding boost next week will be Questacon. A staple for any Aussie visiting Canberra for a school trip, Questacon, will receive $60 million in new funding so it can continue “inspiring the next generation of Australian children”. Per a statement from Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic, the new funding will be used for property upgrades, new “inspiring and interactive experiences”, and national STEM programs. “A school visit to Questacon is a rite of passage for so many Aussie kids. And seeing science brought to life can be the spark that ignites a lifelong passion for science,” Husic said. We tend to agree.
4. Fines for button battery-pushers
The ACCC is serious about button batteries. Yesterday, the watchdog announced that The Reject Shop and Dusk have paid a total of nearly $240,000 after they were issued them with infringement notices related to the supply of Halloween novelty products containing potentially lethal button batteries, allegedly without complying with mandatory product safety and information standards. Since June last year, businesses that supply button batteries or products powered by them, such as Apple AirTags, must comply with mandatory safety and information standards.
5. Twitter is down (again)
It has been a while, but Twitter is this morning down again. Not much is known about why the site is booting people off, preventing them from logging back in, but it’s no surprise, given it’s always something new with the Musk-owned social media platform. The outage follows Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey overnight admitting he was wrong when he said that Elon Musk was the “singular solution” for the platform he worked so hard to build. Anyway, he’s got a new project, BlueSky.
BONUS ITEM: There is (sorry, there was), a banana duct-taped to a wall. It was once eaten, then it returned, now it seems it has been eaten again. There’s a lot going on. Here’s the banana pre-meal.
See you tomorrow.