{"id":"C2004L06241","name":"Telecommunications (Telecom Agreements) Regulations","slug":"telecommunications-telecom-agreements-regulations","collection":"legislative_instrument","jurisdiction":"commonwealth","status":"repealed","isInForce":false,"actNumber":"357 of 1991","makingDate":null,"administeringDepartment":null,"currentVersion":{"id":28138,"registerId":"commonwealth-C2004L06241-current","compilationNumber":null,"startDate":"2026-04-01","status":"Repealed","reasons":null,"registeredAt":null},"sections":[{"sectionNumber":"1","sectionType":"section","heading":"Telecommunications (Telecom Agreements) Regulations","content":"![](image.001.png)\n\nStatutory Rules 1991 No. 3571\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nTelecommunications (Telecom Agreements) Regulations\n\nI, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL of the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, make the following Regulations under the Telecommunications Act 1991.\n\nDated 20 November 1991.\n\nBILL HAYDEN\n\nGovernor-General\n\nBy His Excellency’s Command,\n\nR. F. McMULLAN\n\nParliamentary Secretary to the Treasurer\n\nfor and on behalf of the\n\nMinister of State for Transport and Communications\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nCitation\n\n1. These Regulations may be cited as the Telecommunications (Telecom Agreements) Regulations.\n\n\\[NOTE: These Regulations commence on gazettal: see Acts Interpretation Act 1901, s. 48\\]\n\nInterpretation\n\n2. In these Regulations, unless the contrary intention appears:\n\n“Act” means the Telecommunications Act 1991.\n\nPrescribed agreements and arrangements\n\n3. For the purposes of subsection 125 (1) of the Act, an agreement or arrangement:\n\n(a) of a kind referred to in section 124 of the Act; and\n\n(b) to which Telecom was a party on 1 July 1991;\n\nis prescribed as an agreement or arrangement in relation to which a carrier (other than Telecom or its successsor in law) may ask AUSTEL to give directions under Division 2 of Part 7 of the Act.\n\n\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\\_\n\nNOTE\n\n1. Notified in the Commonwealth of Australia Gazette on 25 November 1991.","sortOrder":0}],"analysis":{"kimi_summary":{"_metrics":{"model":"kimi-k2.5","source":"moonshot-batch","completionTokens":1474},"content_quality":"ok","complexity_score":1,"scope_assessment":{"changed":false,"description":"The regulations maintain their original narrow scope as a transitional measure to prescribe pre-existing Telecom agreements for access regime purposes under the 1991 deregulation framework."},"complexity_factors":["Only 3 regulations total (citation, interpretation, and prescription)","Single defined term ('Act')","No conditional logic beyond basic cross-references to sections 124 and 125 of the Telecommunications Act 1991","No exceptions, provisos, or nested provisions","Straightforward prescription of historical agreements based on a fixed date"],"plain_english_summary":"**What it does:** These regulations are a transitional measure from when Australia's telecommunications market opened to competition in 1991. They allow new phone companies (carriers) to ask the regulator (**AUSTEL**) to review special agreements that the former government monopoly **Telecom** (now Telstra) had in place before competition began.\n\n**Why it matters:** Before 1991, Telecom controlled the entire phone network and had exclusive deals with equipment suppliers, property owners, and other service providers. When the government allowed competitors to enter the market, these regulations ensured newcomers could get fair access to those pre-existing agreements—or have the regulator issue binding directions to level the playing field.\n\n**Who it affects:** Any new telecommunications carrier wanting to compete against the incumbent, and Telecom itself (or its legal successor). Only agreements that Telecom had signed before **1 July 1991** are covered."}},"importantCases":[],"_links":{"self":"/api/acts/telecommunications-telecom-agreements-regulations","history":"/api/acts/telecommunications-telecom-agreements-regulations/history","analysis":"/api/acts/telecommunications-telecom-agreements-regulations/analysis","conflicts":"/api/acts/telecommunications-telecom-agreements-regulations/conflicts","importantCases":"/api/acts/telecommunications-telecom-agreements-regulations/important-cases","documents":"/api/acts/telecommunications-telecom-agreements-regulations/documents"}}