Expiring 15-year spectrum licences—background information

On 10 February 2012, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy announced that he had made a determination under subsection 82(3) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992 and a direction under subsection 294(2) of the same Act. These instruments provide for the possible reissue of expiring spectrum licences to the same licensee.

This page provides information on the lead up to this decision, including previous consultation on the instruments.

On 24 April 2009, the department invited comments on a public discussion paper on possible public interest criteria that could be used when considering the possible reissue of expiring 15-year spectrum licences. The discussion paper is available from this site's archive:

On 4 March 2010, the Minister announced that licence reissue would be offered to telecommunications incumbents who are using their spectrum licences to provide services to significant numbers of Australian consumers, or who have in place networks capable of providing services to significant numbers of consumers, subject to the following public interest criteria:

  • promoting the highest value use for spectrum
  • investment and innovation
  • competition
  • consumer convenience
  • determining an appropriate rate of return to the community.

The department then engaged in an information-gathering process with a number of key licence holders and an interdepartmental evaluation committee was established to consider their proposals.

The department sought public comment on the draft determination and draft direction which would enable possible reissue from 23 December 2011 to 16 January 2012.

 
 
 
 
Document ID: 146050 | Last modified: 10 February 2012, 8:43am