ACMA spectrum pricing review reforms to come into effect next month

The ACMA’s final set of Spectrum Pricing Review reforms are set to come into effect from 21 August.

These reforms, made following the Spectrum Pricing Review in 2018, will ensure spectrum pricing better reflects the current technological environment and demand for spectrum.

The changes include:

updating the assigned apparatus licence tax formula, including:

• changes to the structure of the location weightings table
• a rebalance of some of the weightings
• changes to the way we update taxes each year
• changes to the Perth and Adelaide medium-density areas.

reducing tax rates for transmitter licences used to provide high-power open narrowcasting (HPON) services.

adjusting some tranche one reforms following industry feedback.

These changes are designed to encourage more efficient spectrum use and better promote the long-term public benefits derived from spectrum use.

This follows earlier work which saw the ACMA publish spectrum pricing guidelines, and in July 2021, implement the first set of reforms, which included:

• reduced tax rates for services above 5 GHz, excluding area-wide licences and other licence types not covered by the apparatus licence tax formula
• a ‘systems price’ for co-located earth stations authorised under the same licence.
• an additional price discount for ‘micro’ land-mobile services.

CT Bureau