Radio frequency spectrum management in regional Australia

A PARLIAMENTARY inquiry will hear how the Australian Communications and Media Authority’s (ACMA’s) management of radiofrequency spectrum may impact on regional mobile phone coverage.

The House Communications and the Arts Committee will hear how ACMA oversees more than 170,000 commercial, government and individual licensees operating in Australia at a public hearing today (November 30) for its parliamentary inquiry into co‑investment in regional mobile carrier infrastructure.

Spectrum is a key input for the delivery of wireless broadband (fixed and mobile), satellite and broadcasting services, according to ACMA. With relevant spectrum capable of providing national coverage currently licensed to each of the three mobile carriers, ACMA’s submission to the inquiry states that spectrum availability and access is not a current barrier to terrestrial mobile network expansion.

Committee Chair, Brian Mitchell MP, outlined the Committee will be seeking ACMA’s views on access to spectrum if co-investment looms as the best tool to encourage multiple telecommunications providers in regional areas to invest in and share ‘multi-carrier’ mobile towers to improve the range and reliability of their services.

Public hearing
Witness: Australian Communications and Media Authority
Time and date: 12:40pm AEDT November 30
Location: Committee Room 1R6 Parliament House Canberra

The inquiry’s terms of reference and information about the Committee may be found on the Committee’s webpage.

 

ends