The volume of telecommunications-related complaints in Australia fell 6.5% year over year to 53,834 in fiscal 2026, but consumers continued to face frustration over poor service, the country's Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman said in a Wednesday report.

Complaints related to Telstra Group (ASX:TLS) hit 18,541, representing more than 34% of the overall volume and ranking the company as the top service provider by complaints. TPG Telecom (ASX:TPG) sits at fourth place with 2,430 complaints for 4.5% of the total.

The most commonly complained-about issue was telcos taking too long or failing to act, which accounted for 33,165 total complaints. Australians also filed 4,719 complaints over delays to getting services connected, and 7,143 complaints about inadequate fault testing.

The number of people seeking compensation for financial loss increased nearly 61% to 2,609 complaints, while people seeking compensation for non-financial impacts such as stress rose almost 23% to 4,651 complaints.

The ombudsman said it is calling for "urgent reform" to strengthen consumer protections, including clear minimum reliability standards and baseline compensation arrangements.

TPG Telecom shares rose 1% in recent Wednesday trade.