{"id":"F2004B00512","name":"Australian Communications Authority (PTS-PMTS Class B Transmitter Licences) Direction No. 1 of 2001","slug":"australian-communications-authority-pts-pmts-class-b-transmitter-licences-direction-no-1-of-2001","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"in_force","isInForce":true,"actNumber":null,"makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":31566,"registerId":"commonwealth-F2004B00512-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"InForce","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Australian Communications Authority (PTS-PMTS Class B Transmitter Licences) Direction No. 1 of 2001","content":"---\nmeta-content-style-type: text/css\nmeta-content-type: application/xhtml+xml; charset=utf-8\nmeta-generator: Aspose.Words for .NET 20.2\ntitle: Commonwealth of Australia\n---\n\n?xml version=\"1.0\" encoding=\"utf-8\" standalone=\"no\"?>\n\nCommonwealth of Australia\n\n \n\nAustralian Communications Authority Act 1997\n\nAustralian Communications Authority (PTS-PMTS Class B Transmitter Licences) Direction No. 1 of 2001\n\n \n\nI, RICHARD KENNETH ROBERT ALSTON, Minister for Communications,  Information Technology and the Arts, make the following Direction under subsection 12 (1) of the Australian Communications Authority Act 1997.\n\nDated 3 May 2001.\n\nRICHARD ALSTON\n\nMinister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts\n\n_________________________________________________________________\n\n1        Name of Direction\n\nThis Direction may be cited as the Australian Communications Authority (PTS-PMTS Class B Transmitter Licences) Direction No. 1 of 2001.\n\n \n\n2        Definitions\n\nIn this Direction:\n\nACA means the Australian Communications Authority.\n\nPMTS Class B means a public mobile telecommunications service operated on a frequency or frequencies in the range:\n\n(i)   890 megahertz to 915 megahertz; or\n\n(ii)  935 megahertz to 960 megahertz.\n\nPTS licence means a public telecommunications service transmitter licence.\n\ntransmitter licence has the same meaning as in the Radiocommunications Act 1992.\n\n \n\n## Direction – PTS-PMTS Class B transmitter licences\n\n(1) I direct the ACA, in the performance of its functions and the exercise of its powers under section 7 of the Radiocommunications (Transmitter Licence Tax) Act 1983, to determine an amount of tax for a PTS licence that authorises the holder to operate a land station in a PMTS Class B that is 2.5 times the amount of tax that would otherwise apply to such a licence after taking into account a CPI increase of 4.3%.\n\n(2) The determination referred to in subsection (1) is to be made and gazetted before 22 May 2001 and is to commence on the gazettal date.\n","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":2,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"This direction remains tightly scoped to its original purpose: adjusting tax rates for specific mobile transmitter licences. It does not expand beyond the narrow technical and fiscal adjustment described in its title and operative provisions."},"complexity_factors":["Very short document (approximately 250 words)","Only 4 defined terms in the interpretation section","Single operative provision with straightforward mathematical formula (2.5x multiplier + CPI adjustment)","No cross-references to other legislation beyond naming the empowering Act and the Radiocommunications Act","No exceptions, exemptions, or conditional logic","Clear temporal limitation (specific deadline and commencement date)"],"plain_english_summary":"This is a ministerial direction that tells the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) to charge mobile phone companies a much higher tax for certain transmitter licences.\n\n**What it does:**\n- **Who it affects:** Companies that hold licences to operate mobile phone base stations (land stations) using the 890-915 MHz and 935-960 MHz frequency ranges — these are the frequencies used for 2G GSM mobile networks.\n- **What it requires:** The Minister directs the ACA to set the tax for these specific licences at **2.5 times the normal rate**, after first applying a 4.3% inflation (CPI) increase.\n- **Why it matters:** This significantly increases the cost for telecommunications companies to operate mobile phone infrastructure on these specific frequencies. The direction had to be implemented urgently — gazetted (officially published) before 22 May 2001 and effective immediately upon publication.\n\n**Key terms explained:**\n- **Transmitter licence:** A government permit allowing a company to broadcast radio signals from equipment like mobile phone towers.\n- **PMTS Class B:** A specific category of public mobile phone service using particular radio frequencies (the 900 MHz band commonly used for early mobile networks).\n- **Gazetted:** Officially published in a government notice, making it legally effective."},"flash_summary":{"complexity_score":3,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The Direction does not expand or narrow which licences are within scope; it modifies the tax amount applied to PTS licences that authorise land stations in PMTS Class B by prescribing a 2.5x multiplier after a 4.3% CPI increase and requires ACA gazettal before 22 May 2001 (Direction s2; Direction paras (1)–(2)). It changes price/obligation but not the set of covered licences."},"complexity_factors":["Narrow, technical scope: applies only to PTS licences authorising land stations in PMTS Class B (defined frequency bands) (Direction s2; Direction para (1)).","Simple numeric rule: tax is fixed as 2.5 times the otherwise-applicable amount after a 4.3% CPI adjustment, which reduces calculation ambiguity but fixes fiscal impact (Direction para (1)).","Statutory cross-references: implemented by the ACA under section 7 of the Radiocommunications (Transmitter Licence Tax) Act 1983 and issued under subsection 12(1) of the Australian Communications Authority Act 1997 (instrument header and signing block), adding legal connectivity.","Administrative deadline: requires determination and gazettal before a specific date (22 May 2001) and commencement on gazettal, imposing a tight publication timetable on the ACA (Direction para (2)).","Operational impact concentrated on licence-holders: increases tax payments and compliance accounting for affected licensees (Direction para (1)).","Limited transitional detail: the Direction prescribes outcome and timing but does not set procedural rules for calculation, appeals, or treatment of existing payments, leaving implementation detail to the ACA (Direction para (1))."],"plain_english_summary":"This Direction instructs the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) to set the transmitter-licence tax for PTS licences that authorise land stations in PMTS Class B (890–915 MHz or 935–960 MHz) at 2.5 times the tax that would otherwise apply after a 4.3% CPI increase. The ACA must determine and publish the amount before 22 May 2001 and the new rate takes effect on the gazettal date.\n\nHolders of those PTS licences pay the higher tax. The Minister directs the ACA under subsection 12(1) of the ACA Act and the ACA implements the change under the Radiocommunications (Transmitter Licence Tax) Act 1983."},"flash_summary_failed":{"failed":true,"reason":"Unauthenticated. Configure AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY or use a provider module. Learn more: https://ai-sdk.dev/unauthenticated-ai-gateway","source":"analysis-cron"}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/australian-communications-authority-pts-pmts-class-b-transmitter-licences-direction-no-1-of-2001","history":"/api/acts/australian-communications-authority-pts-pmts-class-b-transmitter-licences-direction-no-1-of-2001/history","analysis":"/api/acts/australian-communications-authority-pts-pmts-class-b-transmitter-licences-direction-no-1-of-2001/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/australian-communications-authority-pts-pmts-class-b-transmitter-licences-direction-no-1-of-2001/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/australian-communications-authority-pts-pmts-class-b-transmitter-licences-direction-no-1-of-2001/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/australian-communications-authority-pts-pmts-class-b-transmitter-licences-direction-no-1-of-2001/documents"}}