Communications policy objectives for the allocation of the 850 and 900 MHz bands

The object of the Radiocommunications Act 1992 provides for the management of the radiofrequency spectrum in order to, amongst other objectives, “maximise, by ensuring the efficient allocation and use of the spectrum, the overall public benefit derived from using the radiofrequency spectrum”, and “support the communications policy objectives of the Commonwealth Government”. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has proposed to optimise and allocate, using a market-based process in Q4 2021, the 850 MHz expansion band and 900 MHz band to facilitate the efficient allocation and use of these bands. The below communications policy objectives for the 850 and 900 MHz bands are intended to help guide decisions of relevance to ACMA’s proposed allocation of these bands. In some cases, different objectives may need to be balanced against each other, or require trade-offs to be made.