Telstra Ordered to Pay $18 Million to Customers Switched to Lower Internet Speeds

Telstra moved almost 9,000 customers to a plan with a slower upload speed without telling them.

A Telstra logo is seen as pedestrian walk outside the Telstra Melbourne headquarters in Melbourne, Australia on June 14, 2017 Michael Dodge/Getty Images

The Federal Court has ordered telecommunications giant Telstra to pay $18 million for breaching Australian Consumer Law by transferring almost 9,000 customers to lower speed plans without notifying them.

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Telstra had moved 8,897 “Belong” customers from a plan with a maximum uploaded speed of 40 Mbps to one with only half that during October and November 2020.