The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) are responsible for the regulation of the Radio Spectrum and they are continually reviewing the usage and demands for spectrum. With regular reviews of the spectrum in certain bands there can be significant impacts on the existing users which may cause them to have to make other changes. Orange Horizons maintains a watching brief on these changes and are able to offer advice to users and licencees with regard to the changes that may be required or indeed advise where it is felt that a user or group of users might be well advised to respond to any of the various ACMA Discussion Papers.

Current issues that are impacting radio communications users include:

• Narrow-banding of channels in the 400MHz band, this is the most common Land Mobile Radio (LMR) area and impacts on most radio users
• Opportunity Cost Pricing (OCP) which will have a direct impact on the cost of radio frequency licences over the coming years
• Equipment standards where radio communications equipment to be used in Australia must meet minimum performance standards
• Interference & Monitoring facilities whereby the ACMA are responsible for ensuring that the radio Spectrum is ‘fit for purpose’ by the licenced users
• Licence applications where new radio licences can be allocated by ‘Accredited assigners’ to provide the best possible radio network performance.