Mobile broadband services deliver substantial economic and societal benefits to the Australian community. The growth in demand for mobile broadband capacity is ongoing and likely to lead to continuing pressures for additional spectrum, although the extent and timing of these needs cannot be predicted with any certainty.
There is also a continuing need for spectrum for other services. The development of spectrum management arrangements that support growth in mobile broadband capacity must be balanced with the ongoing needs for other uses of the spectrum.
We have developed a set of strategies to address the growth in demand for mobile broadband capacity. A key part of these strategies is the articulation of a spectrum management process for the release of additional spectrum for mobile broadband.
This follows a comprehensive industry consultation process, which included a discussion paper, Beyond 2020 - A spectrum management strategy to address the growth in mobile broadband capacity (Beyond 2020), released in September 2015. A summary and our response to submissions received to Beyond 2020 was also released with the final strategy and work plan.
Work program
In line with the implementation of the recommendations of the government’s Spectrum review, we publish our mobile broadband work program in the Five-year spectrum outlook (FYSO). This work program is reviewed as part of the annual updates to the FYSO.