EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
Issued by the authority of the Australian Communications and Media Authority
Telecommunications Act 1997
Telecommunications Numbering Plan Variation 2006 (No. 1)
Statutory basis
Subsection 455(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997 (the Act) provides that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) must, by written instrument, make a plan for the numbering of carriage services in Australia and the use of numbers in connection with the supply of such services. This is the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 1997 (the Plan).
Purpose of variation
The purpose of this variation is to change the specification of number ranges of broad geographic significance[1] (BGS) for use as numbers of local geographic significance[2] (LGS) in two areas of Sydney and Melbourne approaching number exhaustion.
Background
Access to numbers is a prerequisite for access to telecommunications networks and services. There must be an adequate supply of numbers available for allocation in a way that enables telecommunications companies to compete on equal terms and to ensure telephone users have access to the services they require.
ACMA has identified two areas in Melbourne and Sydney where the available supply of numbers is forecast to run out within 12-18 months and/or where ACMA has limited capacity to meet any application(s) for numbers in every standard zone unit[3] (SZU).
In determining how to supplement the prefixes approaching exhaustion, ACMA identified three ways in which numbers might be supplemented:
- Option 1: specifying a new B-digit[4];
- Option 2: specifying a new C-digit; and
- Option 3: changing the specification of existing numbers.
Option 1 enables the existing patterns of geographic numbers to be maintained in areas running short of numbers. For example, existing Sydney numbers commencing with (02) 8 and 9 could be supplemented with new numbers commencing with (02) 7. However, this option is generally used only where no other options are available. This is because a comprehensive public education campaign is required to alert telephone users to the new numbers and all customer equipment such as PABXs must be programmed to dial the new numbers. B-digits are available for specification in both Sydney and Melbourne, for example (02) 7 and (03) 7.
Option 2 involves the specification of a new C-digit. For example, existing Newcastle (02) 49 numbers were supplemented with additional numbers commencing with
(02) 40. This option requires a public education campaign targeted to people most likely to be impacted by the new numbers. Customer equipment must also be reprogrammed to dial the new numbers. This option is only possible where C-digits are available for specification. There are no unused C-digits in Sydney and Melbourne.
Option 3 is only available in the five major capital cities of Australia: Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. This option involves changing the specification of existing numbers for use in an area running short. This commonly occurs when the specification of BGS numbers is changed to LGS. No public education is required as end-users are already familiar with the numbers. Further, customer equipment does not need to be reprogrammed as the numbers are already in use. Sydney and Melbourne have available BGS numbers that can be changed to LGS.
Option 3 is the preferred option and has been adopted to supplement prefixes in areas of Sydney and Melbourne running short of numbers. BGS numbers commencing with (02) 86 will be changed to LGS numbers for use in the North West sector of Sydney and the Blacktown SZU. BGS numbers commencing with (02) 86 will be changed to LGS numbers for use in the City Centre sector of Melbourne. Changing the specification of these numbers will provide sufficient additional numbers to meet forecast demand for the medium to long term.
Public consultation
Section 460 of the Act requires public consultation where a variation to the Plan will affect a number issued to a customer or if it is otherwise considered in the public interest to consult. Public consultation under section 460 of the Act was not required. This is because a change to the specification of BGS numbers does not affect numbers already allocated to carriage service providers (CSPs) and in use by end-users.
Under section 17 of the Legislative Instruments Act 2003, a rule-maker must ensure that any person likely to be affected by the variation – where that variation is likely to have a direct, or substantially indirect, effect on business, or restrict competition – must be provided with adequate opportunity to comment. While consultation under section 17 was not necessary for this variation, as a matter of normal procedure ACMA sought the views of members of the Numbering Advisory Committee (NAC).[5] No comment was received from NAC members.
Section 461 of the Act separately requires ACMA to formally consult the ACCC before varying the Plan. The ACCC indicated that it had no comments on the proposed variation.
The Office of Regulation Review (ORR) granted an exemption on the requirement to provide a Regulation Impact Statement (RIS). This is because the matter is machinery in nature (ORR Reference: 8180).
Details of Variation
Section 1 provides that the variation may be cited as the Telecommunications Numbering Plan Variation 2006 (No. 1).
Section 2 provides that the Variation takes effect on the day after it is registered.
Section 3 specifies that the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 1997 is varied as set out in the first schedule.
Schedule 1 Variations
Item 1 sets out a change to Schedule 3, Part 1 of the Plan. The change adds the prefix (02) 86 to the numbers in the North West sector of Sydney. Blocks of numbers in this range will be available for allocation to carriage service providers for the continued growth of telephone services in areas currently using the prefixes (02) 98 and (02) 88.
Item 2 sets out a change to Schedule 3, Part 1 of the Plan. The change adds the prefix (02) 86 to the numbers in the Blacktown charging zone of Sydney. Blocks of numbers in this range will be available for allocation to carriage service providers for the continued growth of telephone services in areas currently using the prefixes (02) 98 and (02) 88.
Item 3 sets out a change to Schedule 3, Part 1 of the Plan. The change adds the prefix (03) 91 to the numbers in the City Centre sector of Melbourne. Blocks of numbers in this range will be available for allocation to carriage service providers for the continued growth of telephone services in areas currently using the prefixes (03) 96 and (03) 86.
Item 4 sets out a change to Schedule 3, Part 2 of the Plan. The change removes the prefix (02) 86 from the numbers that can be allocated in Sydney. Blocks of numbers commencing with (02) 86 will no longer be available for allocation as numbers of broad geographic significance.
Item 5 sets out a change to Schedule 3, Part 2 of the Plan. The change removes the prefix (03) 91 from the numbers to be allocated in Melbourne. Blocks of numbers commencing with (03) 91 will no longer be available for allocation as numbers of broad geographic significance.
[1] BGS numbers can be allocated to any SZU associated with a major capital city. However, BGS numbers can only be allocated where an applicant can show a limited requirement for numbers, or the numbers are required for a customer with internal dialling arrangements across geographically dispersed sites. BGS numbers are least likely to be allocated.
[2] LGS numbers can only be allocated to a portion of the areas associated with the five major capital cities. The area may be a SZU, or a part of a SZU known as a sector. Some SZUs are divided into a maximum of seven sectors. LGS numbers are the most commonly allocated numbers.
[3] A SZU is the unit to which numbers are allocated. A SZU is a charging precinct, or a charging zone less the area of any charging precincts contained within it.
[4] Using the number (0x) 1234 5678, x can be referred to as the A-digit, 1 as the B- digit, 2 as the C-digit, etc.
[5] NAC membership is drawn from the telecommunications industry, business and consumer groups, customer equipment suppliers and government agencies.