Spectrum in the 850 and 900 MHz bands will be re-allocated to support 4G and 5G mobile services.
The Government has commenced the process to allocate essential spectrum in the 850 and 900 MHz bands to support carriers to deploy more efficient 4G (and later 5G) mobile services across Australia.
These bands are not currently well-optimised and a re-allocation will allow ACMA to reconfigure the bands for 4G and 5G mobile services.
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP, this week issued a spectrum re-allocation declaration for the 850/900 MHz band to enable the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to make more spectrum available in the 850 MHz expansion band, and improve the use of spectrum in the 900 MHz band.
The Radiocommunications (Spectrum Re-allocation—850/900 MHz Band) Declaration 2020 allows ACMA to allocate the bands for spectrum licensing, and follows advice from ACMA which was informed by extensive industry consultation.
The declaration allows for the re-allocation of 20 MHz of new spectrum for mobile broadband services in the 850 MHz expansion band, as well as 50 MHz in the 900 MHz band, a band that carriers currently use for 3G and 4G services.
The spectrum is slated to be sold at auction in late 2021.