ACMA have three consultations in progress concerning spectrum auctions and future spectrum planning:
700 MHz spectrum: unsold lots auction
In 2013 the ACMA held the digital dividend auction which offered 2×45 MHz of spectrum (703–748 and 758–803 MHz) in the 700 MHz band (the digital dividend).
Following the auction, 2×15 MHz of 700 MHz spectrum remained unsold (the unsold 700 MHz lots). The ACMA’s allocation procedures for the digital dividend auction provided that any unsold 700 MHz spectrum lots might later be offered for allocation by a procedure and at a time, to be determined by the ACMA.
Future use of the 1.5 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands
The 1427–1518 MHz band (the 1.5 GHz band) and the 3575–3700 MHz band (the 3.6 GHz band) are currently included in the initial investigation stage of the ACMA’s mobile broadband (MBB) work program.
Consideration for the use of both the 1.5 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands for MBB services has progressed internationally in the International Telecommunication Union–Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R), Asia–Pacific Telecommunity (APT) and in individual countries around the world. The progress of this consideration means it is timely to consider the potential re-planning of these bands in Australia.
The main intention of the discussion paper is to determine whether consideration of the 1.5 GHz and 3.6 GHz bands should be progressed to the preliminary re-planning stage of the ACMA’s process for consideration of additional spectrum for MBB services.
Five-year spectrum outlook 2016–20
The Five-year spectrum outlook (FYSO) provides an annual overview of the ACMA’s spectrum management priorities and issues over the near to medium term, and its plans to address them. Stakeholders can use the document to identify when the ACMA expects a particular work program to commence, and to understand the priority applied to particular activities by the ACMA.
Will impact the spectrum allocated for various services and devices, especially 5G, IoT, WLAN (RLAN) and other Low Interference Potential Devices (LIPD).