14Background

14 Background

(1) Spectrum licensed base station receivers in the 900 MHz Lower Sub-band (900 MHz base station radiocommunications receivers) are in parts of the spectrum immediately adjacent to spectrum licensed base station transmitters in the 850 MHz Upper Sub-band (850 MHz spectrum licensed radiocommunications transmitters). (2) Protection of 900 MHz base station radiocommunications receivers from 850 MHz spectrum licensed radiocommunications transmitters requires cooperation between the licensees below and above the 890 MHz boundary, and requires licensees to participate, in good faith, in the implementation of mitigation measures set out in Part 3, section 16 of the Radiocommunications Advisory Guidelines (Managing Interference to Spectrum Licensed Receivers – 850/900 MHz Band) 2021. In the absence of such cooperation and participation, the ACMA intends for coordination of devices and licences to occur on a first-in-time basis.

Note The ACMA is allocating spectrum licences in the 850/900 MHz band in a way that will allow the 850 MHz band (including the 850 MHz Upper Sub-band) to be downshifted by 1 MHz, making its upper boundary 889 MHz, before 17 June 2028. This is expected to partially alleviate coexistence problems between 850 MHz and 900 MHz services operating either side of 890 MHz. This instrument assumes the downshift has not occurred. More information about the ACMA’s policy for the downshift can be found, free of charge, on the ACMA’s website: www.acma.gov.au in the paper The ACMA's long-term strategy for the 803-960 MHz band decision paper.