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Commonwealth act
This law is Australia's master rulebook for managing the radio frequency spectrum — the invisible resource that makes possible everything from your mobile phone and Wi-Fi to TV broadcasts, emergency services radios, and satellite communications. Think of the spectrum like a massive highway with many lanes: this Act decides who gets which lane, how fast they can go, and what happens if they cause accidents (interference).
The regulator responsible for enforcing this law is ACMA (the Australian Communications and Media Authority).
Pretty much anyone who transmits or receives a wireless signal in Australia, including:
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Direct links to the current provisions in Radiocommunications Act 1992.
Zoe has indexed the source text for search and analysis. Use the official register for the original document and download formats.
View on official registerSourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.
1. Spectrum Planning ACMA creates plans that divide up the spectrum — deciding which frequency ranges (radio lanes) are available for what purposes: commercial TV, defence, emergency services, mobile internet, etc.
2. Three Types of Licences To use the spectrum, you need a licence (permission). There are three kinds:
3. Technical Rules for Devices The Act sets rules about what equipment can be sold or used in Australia — to prevent devices from causing harmful interference to other users.
4. Interference Management Rules about what counts as illegal interference with other people's radio communications, and a process to resolve disputes when interference occurs.
5. Enforcement ACMA inspectors can investigate breaches. There are fines, equipment bans, and recall powers for non-compliant devices.
6. Special Rules for Digital Radio The Act contains detailed rules for the rollout of digital radio broadcasting (DAB+), including who can hold digital multiplex transmitter licences (the infrastructure that carries multiple digital radio stations on one frequency).
7. Exemptions Several groups are exempt from parts of the Act:
Most people never deal with this Act directly. But it shapes: