ACCAN recently submitted to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA)’s consultation paper on Expiring spectrum licences (stage 2) – information gathering, and views on uses of frequency bands and alternative licence conditions (the Consultation Paper).

ACCAN supports the ACMA’s finalised expiring spectrum licence (ESL) stage 2 information gathering framework and its public interest criteria (PIC) as outlined in the Consultation Paper.

ACCAN recommends that the ACMA:

• Use mandatory information requests in instances where sufficient spectrum use information is not provided by licensees and that information is of material relevance to the ACMA’s spectrum planning and allocation activities.  
• Consider the use of ‘use it or lose it’, ‘use it or share it’ licence conditions and rollout obligations to support the PIC and promote competition.
• Upon licence activation, issue mandatory spectrum use information requests to secondary licence holders.
• Consider the expansion of renewal statements which specify the achievement of rollout obligations and investment as a pre-requisite for consideration of licence renewal.
• Continue to maintain no presumption of licence renewal.
• Establish license conditions that provide the ACMA proportionate tools to respond to non-compliance.
• Establish a review process which allows the ACMA to alter the conditions of an in-force ESL.

Download:  Expiring spectrum licences stage 2 submission3.7 MB

Download:  Expiring spectrum licences stage 2 submission205.8 KB