The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association has welcomed the release of the Federal Government’s approach to the to reissue of current 15-yeaer radio frequency spectrum licences at an AMTA Members Forum in Sydney on Thursday.

AMTA Chief Executive Officer, Chris Althaus, said the industry endorsed the public interest approach that the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, announced at the AMTA Members Forum.

Senator Conroy announced that spectrum renewal would be offered to those telecommunications incumbents which are already using their spectrum licences to provide services to significant numbers of Australian consumers or which have in place networks capable of providing services to significant numbers of consumers, provided they meet the public interest test.

Mr Althaus said AMTA endorsed the public interest approach that the Minister outlined.

“And we can now look how the Government will run the process of allocation for the incumbent licence holders that will continue to deliver to the 24 million subscriptions that are out there,” he said.

“There are details to be worked through, but this is a very positive step along with other positive steps in the Digital Dividend and 2.5GHZ processes.

“Most importantly, the industry now has a level of certainty around reissuing of existing licences for incumbents in the public interest.

“It’s a vital gate to pass through because at the end of the day the alternative was to go to auction which would have been incredibly disruptive for the incumbent licence holders. With 24 million mobile subscriptions in Australia it had to be assessed on the basis of public interest and we now look forward to working through the process.

“We continue to remind the Government that the burgeoning demand for mobile broadband is part of our ability to remain competitive and grow productivity and the price the industry pays for access to spectrum has a direct impact on the industry’s operating environment and with the 700MHz (digital dividend), 2.5GHZ band and renewal all happening in the same period the Government needs to be realistic about the expectations it places on revenue.”