Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024N00367:reg:5
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024N00367
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 5
Character Range: 1695–3671

5  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."

Scope of this Ministerial policy statement
This Ministerial policy statement specifies Commonwealth Government communications policy objectives to which the ACMA must have regard in designing and enacting its process to manage the future use of spectrum associated with the expiry of spectrum licences set out in Table 1 below (the expiring spectrum licences process). The Commonwealth Government communications policy objectives covered by this Ministerial policy statement are set out at sections 6 to 10 below.
This Ministerial policy statement is not intended to apply in relation to the expiring spectrum licences currently being used for broadcast services (primarily electronic news gathering) in the 2570‑2620 MHz (2.5 GHz mid-band gap) band, or to support metropolitan rail safety and communications services in the 1800 MHz band. The rationale for this decision is that these licences clearly serve distinctly different use cases compared with the remainder of the expiring spectrum licences and so will have separate considerations which might apply. However, these licences will still be considered as part of the ACMA's comprehensive expiring spectrum licences process.
Table 1: Expiring spectrum licences covered by this Ministerial policy statement
   Band      Frequency range                 Expiry date