The Department of Communications and the Arts Conduct Review of the Act.
On behalf of the Australian Radio Communications Industry Association (ARCIA) Inc. we are pleased to present our response to this paper and trust that the information contained will help in the defining of the new Bill and the planning of the transition process. Our Association has been a keen contributor to the review process as we recognise the importance of the changes and the impact of new technologies in the modern world. Our industry has seen many changes since the introduction of the present Radiocommunications Act in 1992 and so can appreciate some of the demands that will be presented during the coming years.
Our Association represents the bulk of the users of the Land Mobile Radio spectrum and we believe that we can present views that are both representative of the users as well as being cognisant of the competing demands for spectrum access. In our many and varied dealings with the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) we try to be respectful of the needs of other users and the regulator, whilst still representing the requirements of our members and LMR users. We have welcomed the opportunity to be involved in discussions with both the Department and the regulator as future needs have been explored.
We commend our response to your earnest consideration, rather than just respond to the questions raised in the discussion paper, we have also addressed the outline of the various sections of the new Bill and how these might affect our industry sector. In general terms we agree with the changes proposed and the transition plans included, however, we have also suggested some minor adjustments to further clarify some areas of concern. As always, we welcome the opportunity to be involved in discussions on the points raised and we look forward to being involved as the ACMA move towards further defining the requirements of the Bill and associated regulations.