Getting started

In accordance with Part 6 of the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 (TCPSS Act), carriers and eligible carriage service providers are required to become members of the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Limited (TIO).

You will need to tell us

  • Details about your business (including ABN, Registered Address, Trading Names)
  • Trading information about your business (including Trading Names used in the past)
  • Contact details for your business, including principal business contacts, complaint handling contacts, governance and finance contacts
  • Carrier information (including the date of registration and reference number)

Important Note:

This application must be signed by a person authorised by the organisation to do so e.g. Director/Chief Executive Officer/Proprietor or a person that has been provided with the power of attorney to sign this application on their behalf. If signing under power of attorney we may request evidence of your authority to sign.

This application will be sent via DocuSign to obtain the signature of the authorised person.

Before you start

  • You will be unable to submit the form if it is incomplete. The TIO will only consider complete applications
  • You will be unable to save an incomplete application
  • We may return this form to you if it is unclear
  • The TIO's Member Services team will review your submitted application and provide confirmation of membership when your application is finalised
  • This form will take approximately 20 minutes to complete. You will be sent a copy of the completed form once submitted
  • Please note that when you finish completing this form online you will be asked to sign it in DocuSign and a copy will be sent to you for your records
  • If you have any questions or issues filling out the form online please email members@tio.com.au
  • The TIO collects, uses and discloses personal information as set out below and in accordance with Privacy Policy.
  • Enquiries about completing the application form may be directed to Member Services Tel: 03 8680 8424 Email: members@tio.com.au

Our privacy notice

TIO collects the personal information on this form for our functions and purposes, and for related business activities. Our functions and purposes include handling complaints about telecommunications services or land access objections, disclosing your information to a regulator if relevant to the regulator's compliance and enforcement role, managing member compliance with the TIO scheme, activities related to membership of the TIO scheme (such as invoicing, debt recovery, outreach activities, and keeping our membership records up to date), and business activities related to any of the above.

TIO also collects the personal information on this form to send members governance notices, member news, and other information related to TIO's business activities including:

  • Governance notices (sent to business contact or corporate representative nominated by you in section 3)
  • Member News (sent to all member contacts)
  • Member Events (sent to all member contacts)

By providing your personal information or the personal information of your staff, you consent to and authorise TIO to use this information for its functions and purposes. A member including the personal information of its staff on this form warrants that it has the consent of those staff to do so and has provided them with a copy of this statement and TIO's Privacy Policy.

If you do not provide TIO with personal information it can use for its functions and purposes, TIO may not be able to process your membership application.

TIO's Privacy Policy explains more about TIO collects, uses, and discloses personal information.

Member register

Details related to TIO membership must be published on the TIO's Member Register. This includes:

  • Membership Name (and Trading Name)
  • Customer Service Number
  • Web Address
  • Postal Address
  • Public email address
  • Carrier Licence (if applicable)

All other details are for TIO internal use only.

TIO Operational Costs

Operational Costs are recovered from our members through annual membership fees and case fees, as determined from time to time by TIO's Board in accordance with TIO's constitution (see section 5).

Fees are non-refundable, will apply once the membership is active and continue until completion of the member cessation notice period. To apply for cessation, someone with authority to act on the member's behalf must provide signed notice of cessation to the TIO Company Secretary in accordance with TIO's constitution (by completing a TIO member cessation form).

Current fees are listed in Section 5 of this application. Fees are also listed in the member portal, website or contact Member Services for further information.

Member Portal

  • Complaint handler access (Does NOT include access to Accounts and Reporting)
  • CEO/Billing Access (Includes access to Accounts, Reporting and Complaint Handling)

Member communications

TIO is required to send notices of general meetings and other governance related communications. These will generally be sent via email to the Principal Business Contact identified or to the corporate representative if you nominate one (see section 3). This contact information must be kept current by the member.

Newsletters including Industry updates, member events, news and other industry information about your membership will be sent via email.

Please contact Member Services if you wish to update any contact details.