Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee, , 8:50:38 to 8:56:29
ACMA discusses the allocation of 2 GHz spectrum for satellite services and the challenges in meeting the 2027 deadline for universal service obligations amid a rapidly evolving technology market.
Topics: Infrastructure, Procurement
Speakers: Ms Nerida O'Loughlin, Senator The Hon Sarah Henderson, Speaker 14
Okay. I'm going to try and move through these issues as quickly as I can. Can you please update the committee on your finalisation of the spectrum issues in relation? I'm talking about two megahertz spectrum which is required by satellite providers in accordance with the OIMO legislation.
Certainly. So Senator I'll start and then I'll hand over to Mr. Crofts. So we had we've got an ongoing role in managing spectrum available for satellite services, and as our colleagues in the department this morning said this morning, there are a number of bands that can be used. The main focus, as you mentioned, is on the two gig MSS, which is likely the first sort of green fields band available. We did go out for consultation in July 2025 on that band. And I think it's fair to say that we had a huge amount of information come back to us through that consultation process of very different views and expectations and demands from the various players in the market, either satellite operators or the mobile network operators in Australia. We have reflected on all that material, and we have decided that we need to consult again. This is probably an area which is so rapidly evolving that we wanted to go back to the market and make sure we were having a contemporary view of what was going on. We will be going back out for consultation by the end of this year. But Mr. Crops, did you want to explain the process?
Robert Crofts' executive manager spectrum allocations license components.
I'm just concerned about the timing because this legislation has now passed the obligation to deliver the satellite connectivity is meant to happen on the 1st of December 2027. Two of the mobile network operators are saying they're not going to be able to meet that deadline. So but there's no spectrum that's been finalised. So what is your timing?
We will have the spectrum available, and we'll have settled our process well in advance of that deadline, and that it'll be a matter for the M and O's and the satellite operators to work out how they deliver the UMO.
Well, when you say well in advance, we're talking months. Are you talking by the end of the year?
The consultation will go out by the end of the year, but it will be as quickly as we can do it early in the following year.
I recall that earlier on there was hopes that this would be finalised by the end of this year.
As I said, Senator, um we have already undertaken extensive consultation process. We feel that it is right for the market for us to consult again, given so much has happened and so many developments are happened over the last six to twelve months. It is probably our highest priority in the spectrum planning area, and we will move very quickly. We are very well aware of the deadline, and we'll have that spectrum available as quickly as we can.
Mr. Crofts, what's the issue? Why why have you gone, why are you now going back out to reconsult in relation to this spectrum?
Senator, I think we, as we highlighted in the um hearing on the UMO bill, the the market, the technology, they're all, and as the chair mentioned before, they're all moving quite quickly. There's been quite significant changes to you know that the players that are involved in it and their kind of spectrum holdings, the way they're deploying their technology and the time frames for those things. So we've been using this time to look at how that's all playing out, how um international partners are similarly kind of approaching the issue. Um but I think one of the kind of the key kind of considerations we're looking at here really are well, how do we make sure that there is enough competition to deliver outcomes for consumers? How do we make sure that we're allocating things in a spectrally efficient way? Uh and um how do we make sure that we're we're we're supporting the kind of pathway to the UMO by allocating a spectrum?
Could we please have a notice a copy of the submissions that you have received in relation to your work?
I think so.
They're not mailed.
Yeah. Um Senator, may we take that on notice?
I did ask for it on notice.
Yep. Absolutely. Thank you.
Uh so I imagine have you received a broad range of submissions in relation we did to this matter? And you're now you've now issued for a further consultation paper?
That consultation paper is almost complete. It will be out in the coming weeks.
If we could also get a copy of the consultation paper. I know it would be probably be made public, will it?
It will be.
Uh, but if we could have the submissions that you have received to date certainly from the 1st of January 2026 until the date that you take. Comply with the request. Just in case it takes you more than 100 days to comply, which I'm sure it won't, Ms. Uh quickly I want to ask about gambling reform. The coalition brought forward a wide range of amendments to the government's gambling bill. Um what work is being done in relation to establishing ad stop and the other