New South Wales has drafted Australia’s leading framework for the deployment of advanced telecommunications infrastructure which will greatly assist in the delivery of mobile broadband, AMTA and the MCF said yesterday.

The Mobile Carriers Forum (MCF) represents the four mobile phone carriers deploying networks in Australia namely Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Hutchison Australia. It is a division of the Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA).

AMTA Chief Executive Officer, Chris Althaus, said the release of the Exhibition Draft of NSW Telecommunications Code including Broadband was a win for consumers, councils and network carriers because it provided clearer rules for carriers to build critical telecommunications infrastructure.

The Draft Code responds to the increasing demand for new telecommunications infrastructure delivering broadband services, such as video-conferencing, interactive services and video streaming. These are services that rely on broadband connectivity.

More than 6.5 million mobile network subscribers live and conduct business in NSW.

Despite the economic slowdown, new mobile broadband subscribers tripled in the first half of this financial year[i] which requires Australia’s mobile network carriers to respond with the timely provision of improved mobile telecommunications network infrastructure, including antennas, dishes, cables and towers.

Mr Althaus said: “The NSW Government has responded to this challenge with vision and foresight to create a regulatory environment for new telecommunications infrastructure that is superior to any other Australian State."

MCF Program Manager Matt Evans said: “The Code strikes the right balance between providing services that we know people use every day and finding good local solutions for network facilities. Once the Code takes effect the mobile carriers will strive to put forward responsible, well-considered infrastructure solutions to provide services to local communities.

“A similar Code has operated successfully in Victoria since 1999. However, the Draft NSW Code has been written to reflect today’s infrastructure needs to deliver high speed, capacity hungry data and broadband services. It provides a comprehensive set of rules for all telecommunications infrastructure.

“The positive role of mobile broadband in Australia’s economy is so significant and enduring that the telecommunications infrastructure that delivers these services deserves to be recognised as critical – in the same way as infrastructure for roads, water or electricity.”

Mr Evans said to cater for consumer demand, the carriers had established nearly 4500 mobile network base stations in NSW since the early 1990s, accounting for approximately 30% of the national total. Many of these were established following the granting of development approval via lengthy council assessment processes that added little value to the final siting and design solution.

The Draft Code provides improved rules with siting and design principles and requirements for construction of all telecommunications facilities. It ensures consistency of assessment across NSW’s 152 Local Government areas.

Mr Evans said: “Some Councils and Shires have no rules, and are starting from a very low base. Other Councils’ rules were written without regard for how the technology works, so the Code offers a significant improvement”.

The Code requires that carriers must first review all possible “co-location” opportunities. “Co-location” is the sharing of a site or tower by two or more sets of antennas. Only when this is not a viable or appropriate option should a carrier then consider building a new pole or tower.

Other benefits of the Code include:

• Principles relating to visual impact, design and siting to guide Councils when they are assessing a

DA;

• Specific Guidance for 8 different forms of standard telecommunications infrastructure;

• Specific rules for heights, location and siting for some forms of infrastructure, and incentives for

the carriers to meet these requirements; and,

• Clearer guidance on the rules relating to radio-emissions from a base station.