The Australian Government has welcomed the passage of a radiocommunications reform package that will help provide a flexible, fit-for-purpose spectrum management framework for the future.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, said that the reforms will provide spectrum users with greater investment certainty, cut red tape and support new and innovative uses of spectrum.
“Australia has a spectrum management framework that is fundamentally sound and has served us well, but new and innovative digital technologies are changing the way Australians live, work, study and do business, and these updates to the framework are designed to support that,” Minister Fletcher said.
“This is the latest step in the Government’s commitment to reforming the spectrum management framework, so it can continue to support today’s digitally networked economy.”
The changes will streamline spectrum allocation and reallocation processes. This includes extending maximum licence terms to 20 years, helping to reduce regulatory barriers in allocating licences, and modernising the compliance and enforcement regime through increased regulatory options and additional information gathering powers for the Australian Communications and Media Authority.
“The reforms that have now passed Parliament will make sure that the spectrum management framework delivers benefits to industry by cutting red tape, and is flexible enough to adapt to future innovation.”
The Government also recently announced that it will be holding two spectrum auctions in the next year, as part of its commitment to making 2021 the ‘Year of 5G’. The allocation of low band 5G spectrum in the 850/900 MHz band will benefit from the opportunity for extended licence terms.
