In February 2022, Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts, the Hon Paul Fletcher MP issued a Ministerial Policy Statement (MPS) for the 3.4-4.0 GHz band.
The MPS specifies policies of the Government that the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) must have regard to in performing its spectrum management functions and exercising its spectrum management powers with respect to the 3.4-4.0 GHz band.
Specifically, this MPS is intended to apply to ACMA’s decisions regarding the 3.4-4.0 GHz band (remote areas), the 3400-3575 MHz band (excluding remote areas) and the 3.7-4.0 GHz band (excluding remote areas), which were identified in the 2021-26 Five Year Spectrum Outlook for re planning and future allocation.
The 4 communications policies specified in the MPS cover:
- supporting the deployment of new and innovative technology, including 5G
- supporting a range of use cases and users
- supporting digital connectivity and investment in regional Australia
- promoting competitive markets.
The MPS is the first released following recent reforms to the Radiocommunications Act 1992, which formalised the ability of the Minister to provide high-level policy guidance to ACMA about the Government’s policies for spectrum management through the issue of Ministerial Policy Statements.