Acting Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman Diane Carmody speaks in Melbourne, Friday, Oct. 9, 2015. Source: AAP

The report showed consumers made more than 124,000 complaints about their mobile, internet and landline services last financial year, down 10.5 per cent, a figure the acting ombudsman Diane Carmody said was still a “huge number.”

“The telecommunications industry has a long way to go,” Ms Carmody said.

She said 2014-14 was the fourth consecutive year of decreasing complaints, which she attributed to significant improvements in areas including coverage and excess data charges.

She also said telcos had made investment in infrastructure and monitoring tools for consumers newly required under the industry’s Telecommunications Consumer Protection Code.

There are concerns for NBN however, with an increase of almost 70 per cent in the number of NBN-related complaints, a shift that the TIO office said highlighted a communication breakdown between retailers, the wholesaler, NBN and consumers.

Consumers complained about delays in connections to the network and installation appointments that technicians did not attend.

“While the numbers of NBN-related complaints are relatively small at 6,700, they have a big impact on consumers,” Ms Carmody said.

“It can be extremely frustrating and inconvenient for consumers when technicians do not show up for scheduled appointments, particularly if the consumer has taken a day off work.”

Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) CEO Teresa Corbin said she was pleased to see the downward trend in complaints and improved mobile coverage, but said she was concerned about the level of NBN complaints.

“The number of subscribers on the NBN has grown substantially but NBN and the retail service providers (RSPs) need to ensure consumers aren’t worse off during the switchover,” Ms Corbin said.

Meanwhile the Communications Alliance, which represents Australia’s major telcos, said the report was proof the industry was continuing to deliver on its commitment to excellent customer service.

“This is the fourth consecutive year of significant reductions in complaints and it is fair to say that industry is on a long-term path to greater customer satisfaction. The TIO results are backed by our quarterly national polling which also shows steady improvements in customer satisfaction since the commencement of the polling two and a half years ago,” Communications Alliance Director of Program Management, Christiane Gillespie-Jones, said.

“This improvement stems from various factors, including huge investments into improved networks, a strong Telecommunications Consumer Protections Code and, most importantly, an industry-wide commitment to deliver an outstanding customer experience to customers.”

Vodafone director of service, customer operations Errol van Graan said there was more work to do for his company but the result “shows how far we’ve come.”

“Our continued investment in our network and customer service operations, together with our industry-leading bill shock initiatives and more simplified products are contributing to a dramatic improvement in customer satisfaction," he said.

Landline complaints also increased slightly year-on-year.

NBN has been contacted for comment.