Following switchover, 1,294 digital television transmitters servicing 367 areas moved to new channels in accordance with a new channel plan. This ‘restack’ of channels was required to clear the 700 MHz digital dividend (channels above UHF 51). The final digital television transmitters were restacked on 9 December 2014. Digital radio Digital radio services, using DAB+ technology in VHF Band III spectrum, have been running on a permanent basis in the metropolitan areas of Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney since July 2009. Trials of DAB+ are being conducted in Canberra and Darwin by the peak commercial radio body, Commercial Radio Australia. The trials were to expire on 30 August 2015 but have subsequently been extended. On 8 July 2015, the government published a report prepared by the Department of Communications on digital radio services in Australia. The Digital Radio Report made several recommendations, including the establishment of a Digital Radio Planning Committee for Regional Australia to be chaired by the ACMA. In announcing the release of the Digital Radio Report, the then minister announced that the government expects that the planning committee would give priority to the licensing of permanent digital radio services in Canberra and Darwin, before planning the rollout in new areas of Australia. Broadcasting complaints and investigations The ACMA monitors the number and details of complaints it receives about possible breaches of the BSA, standards, licence conditions and code provisions. Not all complaints are investigated, as the complainant may choose not to pursue the matter further or because the complaint is outside the ACMA’s jurisdiction. Further, since 17 October 2014, the ACMA has had a discretion whether to investigate complaints about broadcasting matters in the public interest. When deciding whether to investigate a particular matter, the ACMA has regard to a range of factors including the nature and seriousness of the issue raised; the applicability of any relevant legislation, code of practice or standard; the potential to affect the community at large and its priority in relation to other matters of public interest. From 17 October 2014 to 30 June 2015, the ACMA exercised its discretion to investigate 61 valid complaints and declined to investigate 35 valid complaints. (Note that multiple valid complaints may concern a single broadcast or matter.) There were 1,012 written complaints and enquiries made to the ACMA about broadcasting matters during 2014–15, a 36 per cent decrease from 2013–14. The number of investigations completed in 2014–15 was 145 (Table 3.7).
Table 5.5 Percentage and number of new service and in-place connections provided within CSG Standard time frames, 2014–15 New service* In-place service* Urban areas Major rural areas Minor rural areas Remote areas All areas iiNet % 94.8 97.2 96.4 96.5 96.9 No. 64,817 3,788 1,645 55 76,879 Optus % 97.8 98.4 99.1 NQCSP n/a No. 208,932 784 445 NQCSP n/a Dodo % 100 100 100 NQCSP 100 No. 20,247 1,254 930 NQCSP 85,371 Telstra % 94.5 95.8 95.2 93.0 95.8 No. 307,105 34,119 16,753 787 261,567 NQCSP=Not a qualifying CSP (QCSP). n/a=not applicable. *Service connections. Note 1: Commencing in 2012–13, QCSPs were required to record the number of requests that were not complied with within the applicable performance time frames and to identify if the CSP’s failure to do so was wholly or partly attributable to one or more acts or omissions by another CSP. Note 2: Location-specific thresholds are met if a QCSP supplied 10,000 or more CSG services in urban areas, 1,000 or more CSG services in major rural areas, 1,000 or more CSG services in minor rural areas, 500 or more CSG services in remote areas. Source: CSP data. Appointments and fault repairs Table 5.6 shows CSP performance in 2014–15 in meeting the CSG Standard for fault repair time frames and appointment-keeping.