Telecommunications Legislation and Connected Vehicles

Connected vehicles use mobile technologies to share data and communicate with the driver and other wireless services. There are a range of connected vehicles currently on the market, with those numbers expected to grow into the future.

Both the automotive industry and the department generally agree that manufacturers and distributors of connected vehicles, as well as companies that manufacture and provide services for after-market connectivity, are considered CSPs under section 87 of the Telecommunications Act 1997. This is because they usually provide ongoing access to a carriage service via subscriptions to vehicle connectivity.

CSPs must comply with various regulatory obligations related to competition, consumer protection and the national interest.

We want your thoughts on whether CSP obligations should apply to distributors and manufacturers of connected vehicles and how we should manage the application of obligations if they do. Interested parties can provide responses to the questions set out on pages 14 and 15 of the Discussion Paper.

The aim of this process is to provide certainty for industry, and to support the roll out of connected vehicles across Australia, while ensuring that telecommunications regulatory obligations are directed to the right parts of the industry.

Relevant documentation

Telecommunications Legislation and Connected Vehicles