Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012

Administered by Department of Communications and the Arts

Legislation au F2012L00205 Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012

as amended

made under subsection 60(10) of the

Radiocommunications Act 1992

This compilation was prepared on 14 December 2012
taking into account amendments up to Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012 (Amendment No. 1 of 2012)

Prepared by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel, Canberra

Contents

 1 Name of Direction [see Note 1]

 2 Commencement [see Note 1]

 3 Interpretation 

 4 Direction – 700MHz band 

Notes   

 

 

 

1 Name of Direction [see Note 1]

  This Direction is the Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012.

2 Commencement [see Note 1]

  This Direction commences on the day after it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.

3 Interpretation

 (1) In this Direction:

ACMA means the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Act means the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

associate, in relation to a person, means:

 (a) for a body corporate:

 (i) a director or secretary of the body; or

 (ii) a related body corporate; or

 (iii) a director or secretary of a related body corporate; or

 (v) an individual who controls at least 15% of the voting power or holds at least 15% of the issued shares in the body; or

 (b) for an individual:

 (i) the individual’s spouse; or

 (ii) the individual’s de facto partner within the meaning given by the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; or

 (iv) a body corporate in which the individual controls at least 15% of the voting power or holds at least 15% of the issued shares; or

 (v) a body corporate of which the individual is a director or secretary; or

 (vi) a body corporate that is related to a body corporate of which the individual is a director or secretary; or

 (c) for any person – any other person (other than the ACMA) who has a relevant agreement with the person that:

 (i) is for the use by a party to the agreement of spectrum licensed to either of those parties under a spectrum licence for a part of the spectrum referred to in the reallocation declaration; or

 (ii) relates to the acquisition of a spectrum licence for a part of the spectrum referred to in the reallocation declaration.

carrier has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

designated area means the area to which the reallocation declaration applies, as described in subsection 4(2) of the reallocation declaration.

public mobile telecommunications service has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

reallocation declaration means the Radiocommunications (Spectrum Reallocation) Declaration No. 1 of 2011.

related body corporate has the meaning given by the Corporations Act 2001.

relevant agreement means an agreement, arrangement or understanding:

 (a) whether formal or informal or partly formal and partly informal; and

 (b) whether written or oral or partly written and partly oral; and

 (c) whether or not having legal or equitable force and whether or not based on legal or equitable rights,

other than a Roaming Services Agreement or an agreement between carriers provided for by or under the Telecommunications Act 1997 or Part XIC of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010.

Roaming Services Agreement means an agreement between carriers for the principal purpose of enabling end-users of public mobile telecommunications services supplied by one carrier to use public mobile telecommunications services supplied by another carrier, in geographic locations where the first-mentioned carrier’s public mobile telecommunications services are not available.

specified group of persons means an applicant for a spectrum licence and all of the associates of the applicant.

 (2) In this Direction, each frequency band includes all frequencies that are greater than the lower frequency, up to and including the higher frequency.

 (3) For this Direction, 2 or more specified groups of persons having 1 member in common are taken to be 1 specified group of persons.

4 Direction – 700MHz band

 (1) I direct that the ACMA must determine procedures under subsection 60(1) of the Act that impose limits that ensure that, as a result of the allocation of spectrum licences under Subdivision B of Division 1 of Part 3.2 of the Act, no person or specified group of persons may use more than:

 (a) 25 MHz of spectrum available in the designated area in the frequency band 703 MHz to 748 MHz; and

 (b) 25 MHz of spectrum available in the designated area in the frequency band 758 MHz to 803 MHz.

 

Notes to the Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012

Note 1

The Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012 (in force under subsection 60(10) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992) as shown in this compilation is amended as indicated in the Tables below.

Table of Instruments

Title

Date of FRLI registration

Date of
commencement

Application, saving or
transitional provisions

Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012

8 Feb 2012 (see F2012L02205)

9 Feb 2012

 

Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012 (Amendment No. 1 of 2012)

14 Dec 2012 (see F2012L02470)

14 Dec 2012

Table of Amendments

ad. = added or inserted      am. = amended      rep. = repealed      rs. = repealed and substituted

Provision affected

How affected

S. 3.................

am. 2012 No. 1

S. 4.................

am. 2012 No. 1

 

Overview

The Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012 was enacted under subsection 60(10) of the Radiocommunications Act 1992. The purpose of this legislative instrument was to address the need for clear guidelines on the allocation and use of spectrum licences within the 700MHz band, which is crucial for efficient and fair management of radiocommunications in Australia. This Direction was prepared by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel and was registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments on 8 February 2012, with an effective commencement date of 9 February 2012. The policy objective is to ensure that the use of the specified spectrum does not exceed certain limits, thereby preventing any individual or group from monopolising the spectrum, which could stifle competition and innovation in the telecommunications sector. This Direction mandates the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to establish procedures that enforce limits on the use of the 700MHz spectrum. Specifically, it ensures that no person or group of persons can utilise more than 25MHz of spectrum in the frequency bands of 703MHz to 748MHz and 758MHz to 803MHz within the designated area. This regulatory approach aims to maintain a balanced and competitive telecommunications environment, promoting the optimal use of available spectrum resources.

Scope and Application

The Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012, made under the Radiocommunications Act 1992, applies to the spectrum licences issued for the 700MHz band within the designated areas, as described in the Radiocommunications (Spectrum Re-allocation) Declaration No. 1 of 2011. This legislation is concerned with ensuring that no individual or specified group of persons, which includes an applicant for a spectrum licence and their associates, may use more than certain specified amounts of spectrum in the designated frequency bands. Specifically, the Direction mandates that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) must determine procedures that limit the use of spectrum to 25 MHz in the frequency bands from 703 MHz to 748 MHz and from 758 MHz to 803 MHz. This Direction applies to the Commonwealth of Australia and is enforced by the ACMA. The legislation does not specify any exclusions or exemptions, but it does extend its application through subordinate instruments such as amendments, as evidenced by the Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012 (Amendment No. 1 of 2012). The Direction commenced on the day after its registration on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments.

Key Provisions

The Radiocommunications (Spectrum Licence Limits) Direction No. 1 of 2012 establishes the limits on the amount of spectrum that can be used by any person or specified group of persons within the designated area in the 703 MHz to 748 MHz and 758 MHz to 803 MHz frequency bands. As per section 4(1), the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is directed to determine procedures that ensure these limits are imposed, specifically limiting the use of spectrum to 25 MHz in each frequency band (section 4(1)(a) and (b)). Under this Direction, entities and individuals who apply for spectrum licences must adhere to the established limits to avoid exceeding the allocated spectrum. The Direction imposes obligations on applicants to ensure that neither they nor their associates use more than the specified limit of 25 MHz in each designated frequency band (section 4(1)). The term "associate" includes directors, secretaries, related corporate entities, and individuals holding significant shares or voting power, ensuring that all interconnected parties are bound by the same limitations (section 3). The Direction does not explicitly list offences or penalties for non-compliance within its text, but it is underpinned by the broader Radiocommunications Act 1992. Under the Act, breaches of spectrum usage limits could lead to enforcement actions by the ACMA, including fines and other penalties as stipulated in the Act. The maximum penalties for contravening the Radiocommunications Act can be substantial, reflecting the seriousness with which spectrum management is treated. Therefore, entities and individuals must strictly adhere to the limits set forth to avoid potential legal and financial repercussions.

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Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation at 26 August 2026. For the latest information on Australian Government law please go to https://www.legislation.gov.au.