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Industry · Telecommunications

From plan to bill, with nothing in your customers’ way

Check availability, pick a plan, verify identity, read the bill: a customer who fails at one form ends up on the hotline or with a competitor. We test your web journeys with keyboard, zoom and screen reader.

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What the EAA covers in telecoms

Electronic communications services for consumers are named in the European Accessibility Act, except transmission services for machine-to-machine communication (Article 2(2)(a)). The term comes from the European Electronic Communications Code, Directive (EU) 2018/1972: internet access, telephony and other interpersonal communications services, including number-independent ones such as messaging apps.

Annex I, Section IV adds requirements for the service itself: real-time text alongside voice, total conversation where video is offered, and synchronised emergency communications. Those functions are outside our testing. Checked on 10 November 2026.

Our part is the web: website, plan selection, ordering and customer portal. That is where customers find out whether they can get your service at all. Devices such as smartphones are products with their own duties.

Two questions, one answer

Does the EAA apply to you?

Your industry is already selected. Answer two questions and the EAA check shows an assessment, the reasons and next steps. You can change every answer there.

Who are your customers?
How big is your company?

A first orientation, not legal advice. Nothing is stored.

Where customers get stuck online

Availability check

Address fields with suggestions nobody announces, and errors like “Invalid address” that do not say what is missing.

Comparing plans

Plans laid out as cards side by side, which a screen reader does not recognise as a comparison. Key terms only in small print or a tooltip.

Configurator and order

Options, devices and number porting spread over many steps, a summary without structure, required fields without a hint.

Identity verification

Video calls, codes and photos of ID documents: there has to be a route that people with visual or hearing impairments can take.

Customer portal

Usage shown only as a chart, bills as image-only PDFs, sessions that time out without warning.

Cancelling and contact

The way to cancel or reach support is hidden, and chat windows trap the focus or cannot be closed.

The criteria that matter along the customer journey

  • 3.3.1Error Identification

    When an address or availability check fails, the error must be named in text and tied to the field.

  • 3.3.3Error Suggestion

    If the fix is known, suggest it, such as “House number missing”.

  • 1.3.1Info and Relationships

    A plan comparison needs a structure that makes sense without seeing it, such as a real table.

  • 1.1.1Non-text Content

    Usage charts in the customer portal need a text alternative with the values.

  • 3.3.8Accessible Authentication (Minimum)

    New in WCAG 2.2: signing in to the portal must not demand a memory test without an alternative, such as pasting from a password manager.

  • 2.2.1Timing Adjustable

    When a session or an identity check is about to time out, customers need a warning and a way to extend it.

How we test your customer journeys

  1. Agree the journeys

    Check availability, order a plan, use the portal for bills and contract details, contact and cancellation.

  2. Scan

    Public pages automatically, with screenshots. The scanner never orders anything or signs in.

  3. Journeys by hand

    A reviewer tests ordering and the customer portal with keyboard and screen reader, using a test account and test data from you.

  4. Report and certificate

    Findings per criterion with locations. The certificate covers the tested web scope, not telephony or devices.

What else applies

The rules apply to services provided to consumers after 28 June 2025. Micro-enterprises that provide services are exempt. Contracts concluded before that date may continue unchanged until they expire, at most until 28 June 2030.

As for every covered service, you publish how your service meets the accessibility requirements; our statement generator helps with the draft. Authorities and penalties differ by member state; in Germany, offering a non-compliant service can be fined up to EUR 100,000. Details in our law overview.

Frequently asked questions

Do you test real-time text and emergency calls?

No. Those are functions of the communications service itself. We test websites, web apps and PDF documents against WCAG 2.2 AA. Real-time text and emergency communications need their own technical testing.

Our customers mostly use the app. Does an audit help us?

We do not currently test native iOS or Android apps. Ordering, contract details and bills often run on the web as well, or the app shows web content. Those we test.

We are a small regional provider. Does this apply to us?

With fewer than 10 employees and an annual turnover or balance sheet total of no more than EUR 2 million, you are exempt from the requirements for services as a micro-enterprise. Above that, the rules apply to small providers too.

Our bills are PDFs. Is that a problem?

If the PDFs are part of the user journey, the reviewer tests them in the audit: tags, reading order, tables. More on PDF documents.

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