This report provides an overview of information relating to the radio spectrum used to provide wireless and mobile telephony services in Australia. It provides selected details of spectrum ownership and its usage by network operators, and gives an overview of the regulatory authority and related developments with respect to services using radio spectrum based on GSM, WiMAX and Ultra-Wideband technologies. The Australian Government sought public comment on the benefits and costs of maximising what has become known as Australia’s ‘digital dividend’, the term used to describe the radio frequency spectrum made available as a result of the switchover to digital-only television, and in doing so has announced it will release a contiguous block of spectrum between 694MHz and 820MHz to be freed-up from switchover. The government has established a target of 126MHz of contiguous ultra-high-frequency spectrum. In its latest Outlook report, the Australian Communications and Media Authority has flagged significant updates, including the digital dividend and the analysis of the proposed changes to arrangements for spectrum in the 400MHz band. The ultra-high-frequency spectrum block is expected to be available at the end of 2013.
