Government Announces Moves on Spectrum Reform

The Australian Government will implement all the recommendations of the Spectrum Review conducted over 2014-15 by the Department of Communications together with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

Announced on 25 August, a tight program of changes to legislation and regulations will be carried out over the next two years, commencing in October and running through to mid-2017, when the new regime is intended to start.

A single licensing system is the principal feature of what the Government is calling the “new spectrum framework”. The current apparatus, class and spectrum licensing regimes will disappear, to be replaced with licences that set out the conditions of use for spectrum access detailed in a set of key parameters.

Known as parameters-based licences, the core parameters to be included in a licence will be set out in the proposed new radiocommunications act, with the detail on these parameters to be developed by the ACMA in consultation with users and set out in subordinate instruments. The Spectrum Review recommended that likely core parameters might include frequencies, geographical details, rights to renewal, terms for variation or revocation, together with price and payment methods.

Broadcasters, commercial, defence and other government users, scientific, aeronautical, maritime, private, amateur and other not-for-profit users, as well as type-approved wireless devices, will all be affected by the new spectrum framework.

A review of pricing for spectrum access is to commence immediately and continue until mid-2016. The government foreshadows new pricing arrangements will commence in mid-2017, along with the start of the new licensing system. The next federal election may be held sometime between late-2016 to early-2017

The Minister for Communications’ media release is here. Link

The Department of Communications’ implementation timetable can be found here. Link

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