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FOCUS ON THE FUTURE Jonathan Nally
In its latest Five-year Spectrum Outlook, the ACMA is tackling the IoT, 5G, dynamic spectrum access and other pressing issues.
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he Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released its latest Five-year Spectrum Outlook (FYSO), covering the years 2016 to 2020, which outlines the areas it intends to work on over the next half decade and gives stakeholders an idea of what to expect. “We have changed the FYSO this year to deepen engagement with industry and citizens on the ACMA’s spectrum management priorities and work plan,” said ACMA Acting Chairman Richard Bean. “They will find more information on what the ACMA is working on and why, and have more opportunity to comment, including on the format and detail of the work plan.” The FYSO includes a detailed update of the ACMA’s mobile broadband work program (acma.gov.au/Industry/Spectrum/Spectrum-projects/Mobile-broadband/mobile-broadband-strategy-andwork-plan), which was released in February. The ACMA has also released a discussion paper on planning issues for the 1.5 and 3.6 GHz bands (acma.gov.au/theACMA/ future-use-of-the-15-ghz-and-36-ghz-bands). The regulator has brought forward consideration of the 3.6 GHz band by four months “in response to increasing worldwide interest in the band”, which has been slated for possible use for 5G mobile. “The changes we have made will make the ACMA’s spectrum work program, and our accountability for it, clearer and increase the value and relevance of the FYSO to everyone with an interest in spectrum management,” said Bean. “It also highlights our planning for new technological develop-
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ments: 5G, IoT and dynamic spectrum access (DSA),” he added. “Getting the spectrum access settings for 5G and IoT right will be fundamental to the success of those technologies in Australia and the contribution they will make to productivity and economic growth.”
Four focus areas According to an ACMA statement, the FYSO “is an important component of the ACMA’s consultation and planning framework for spectrum management. It provides information on demand pressures for spectrum and other significant challenges arising from the external environment. Publication of the FYSO supports consultation on specific spectrum issues, discussion papers and feedback through the ACMA’s RadComms conferences and spectrum tune-ups.” The FYSO has four parts. Part 1 “sets out the ACMA’s highlevel approach to decision-making, how evidence is used to identify priorities and develop work programs, and information on external pressures that affect spectrum management. The key issue for the ACMA will be the extent to which implementation of the Spectrum Review recommendations will affect the ACMA’s spectrum management priorities in the future.” Part 1 also includes a “discussion of the ACMA’s response to the significant issues affecting current and future demand for spectrum with particular emphasis on the mobile broadband. It also discusses the ACMA’s preparatory work to facilitate access to spectrum for 5G, IoT and DSA technologies.”
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