Australian Regulator Consults on Boosting Rural Mobile Coverage

­The Australian Communications and Media Authority is seeking feedback from industry and interested parties to a proposal to make further spectrum in the 2 GHz band available for mobile telecommunications services in regional and remote areas of Australia.

"The proposed arrangements were developed in response to requests from telecommunications providers for increased capacity in these areas, as well as to provide increased capacity for dual-band international roaming," said Chris Chapman, Chairman of the ACMA.

"The ACMA believes that the economic and efficient use of the spectrum, as well as the objects of the Radiocommunications Act, are likely to be best promoted by making vacant spectrum available on application to provide additional capacity for mobile telecommunications services, where that is consistent with existing uses."

The ACMA has released a discussion paper detailing the proposed public telecommunications service (PTS) apparatus licensing arrangement to support the coordinated deployment of mobile telecommunications infrastructure in regional and remote areas.

Complete details on the licensing arrangements and the draft amendments to the regulatory framework to support the proposal can be viewed on the ACMA website.

Posted to the site on 6th October 2009