Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2022N00015:body:0:p1
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2022N00015
Segment Type: other
Provision Reference: 
Character Range: 0–3155

Radiocommunications (Ministerial Policy Statement – 3.4–4.0 GHz) Instrument 2022

I, Paul Fletcher, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, make the following Ministerial policy statement under subsection 28B(1) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

Dated 1 February 2022

Paul Fletcher
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts

Ministerial Policy Statement for the 3.4–4.0 GHz band

1.  Introduction

The object of the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (the Act) is "to promote the long‑term public interest derived from the use of the spectrum by providing for the management of the spectrum in a manner that:
       (a)    facilitates the efficient planning, allocation and use of the spectrum; and
       (b)    facilitates the use of the spectrum for:
           (i)     commercial purposes; and
           (ii)   defence purposes, national security purposes and other non‑commercial purposes (including public safety and community purposes); and
       (c)    supports the communications policy objectives of the Commonwealth Government."
This Ministerial policy statement specifies Commonwealth Government communications policy objectives that apply, and to which the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) must have regard, in performing its spectrum management functions and exercising its spectrum management powers in relation to the 3.4–4.0 GHz band.

2.  Supporting the deployment of new and innovative technology, including 5G

A Government communications policy objective in relation to the 3.4–4.0 GHz band is to support the deployment of new and innovative technology, including 5G.

This is reflected in a number of Government policies that support the delivery of digital infrastructure, including:

       (a)    The Government's Digital Economy Strategy 2030, released in 2021, which sets out how Australia will secure its future as a modern and leading digital economy and society by 2030, including through the timely availability of spectrum.

       (b)   The Government's 5G – Enabling the future economy directions paper published in October 2017, which identified that the Government would support the early deployment of 5G in Australia by making spectrum available in a timely manner.
Mid-band spectrum in the 3.4–4.0 GHz range is important for a range of services, including wireless broadband, because its properties support the balance of coverage and capacity required for effective deployment of these services. Access to the 3.4–4.0 GHz band is critical for the deployment of new and innovative technologies, and ongoing deployment of 5G services. The largest number of 5G networks worldwide are being deployed in this range, supported by many devices being introduced into the global market.
With the 3.6 GHz spectrum auction in 2018, the Government has already made spectrum in this band available to support 5G services. This 3.4-4.0 GHz spectrum complements low-band spectrum in the 700, 850 and 900 MHz bands, which facilitate wide-area network coverage, and high-band spectrum in the 26 GHz and 28 GHz bands (known as