Telecommunications Carrier Licence Charges (Annual Charges) Determination 2024

The instrument uses a small set of defined concepts that determine who pays and how much. Key definitions are in section 6 and the operative allocation mechanics are in section 9. The principal concepts and how they operate are:

• Eligible revenue (ER) and eligible revenue period. These expressions are used as defined in the Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999 (the TCPSS Act), and the instrument relies on ACMA assessments under subsection 47(1) of the TCPSS Act to supply the per‑carrier ER figures (section 6 and notes to section 9). The instrument does not recalculate eligible revenue; it uses ACMA's assessments and lists the per‑carrier ER values in Schedule 1 (section 9 note).

• Exempt carrier licence. Defined as a carrier licence held by a carrier that was a "non‑participating person" for the 2022-23 eligible revenue period (section 6). If a carrier meets that definition, the charge is fixed at $0 by section 8.

• MCA (maximum charge amount, excluding costs relating to the CSPA and the MBA). MCA is a fixed figure in the instrument: $29,480,166 (section 9 notes). The instrument states MCA is the total of amounts determined under subsection 15(1) of the Act by ACMA, ACCC and the Minister, excluding the portions that relate to CSPA and MBA. In effect, MCA represents the main cost pool to be allocated by revenue share.

• OTC (other telecommunications costs). OTC is $220,203 and is subtracted from MCA before proportional allocation (section 9). The instrument describes OTC as costs attributable to ACMA telecommunications functions that have been recovered from telecommunications charges other than annual carrier licence charges, thereby reducing the pool allocated via this instrument.

• TER (total eligible revenue). TER is the sum of eligible revenue for all carriers named in Schedule 1, fixed at $25,474,470,520 (section 9).

• CSPA (Consumer Safeguards Part A) program cost. A discrete cost pool of $581,350, representing the portion of ACMA costs for 2022-23 that relate to CSPA. This pool is allocated only among carriers named in Schedule 2, in proportion to their eligible revenue (ERQRCSP) relative to TERQRCSP (section 9(4) and notes).

• APC (annual program costs for MBA). APC is $1,644,950 and is the ACCC's MBA cost pool for 2022-23. It is allocated among carriers named in Schedule 3 in proportion to their number of NBN fixed line connections in MBA test segments (FLC) relative to TFLC (section 9(5) and notes).

• FLC and TFLC. FLC is the number of NBN fixed line connections attributable to a carrier in an MBA test segment (per Schedule 3). TFLC is the aggregate number across carriers named in Schedule 3 and is fixed at 7,919,502 (section 9(5) notes).

The instrument therefore creates three distinct allocation bases: total eligible revenue for the main pool (MCA less OTC), eligible revenue among qualifying retail carriage service providers for CSPA, and measured NBN fixed line connections within MBA test segments for the ACCC MBA pool. The instrument is explicit that the various amounts (MCA, CSPA, APC, OTC, TER, TERQRCSP, TFLC) are fixed numerical inputs to the formulas, and that carrier‑level ER and FLC figures are taken from the Schedules and the ACMA/ACCC assessments and data that underpin them (section 9 notes).

The instrument affects persons holding carrier licences that were in force at the beginning of the 2023-2024 financial year (section 5). Those carrier licences are the legal instruments by which the annual charges are imposed: the amount of charge for each carrier licence is calculated with reference to the carrier named in column 2 of Schedule 1 and, where applicable, Schedules 2 and 3 (section 9(2) and notes). There are three mutually reinforcing groupings of affected entities:

1. All carriers named in Schedule 1. Every carrier listed in Schedule 1 is subject to the first allocation formula: their share of (MCA minus OTC) as a proportion of their ER to TER (section 9(3)). The instrument therefore imposes a baseline charge across that set.

2. Carriers who were also qualifying retail carriage service providers (QRCSPs) in 2022-23 and so appear in Schedule 2. Those carriers incur an additional CSPA allocation, CSPA*(ERQRCSP/TERQRCSP) (section 9(4)). The instrument confines the CSPA pool to carriers that meet the QRCSP definition in the Telecommunications (Consumer Complaints) Record‑Keeping Rules 2018, and uses the ACMA’s eligible revenue assessment for 2022-23 to allocate that pool.

3. Carriers who appear in Schedule 3 because they had NBN fixed line connections in MBA test segments attributable to them in 2022-23. Those carriers incur an additional APC allocation, APC*(FLC/TFLC) (section 9(5)). The FLC figures are derived from ACCC‑provided information about NBN fixed line connections in test segments.

Carriers who were "non‑participating persons" for the eligible revenue period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023 are treated as exempt carrier licences and their charge is $0 (sections 6 definition of exempt carrier licence and section 8). The status "non‑participating person" is defined in the Telecommunications (Participating Persons) Determination 2015; the instrument does not restate that definition but relies on it (section 6 note). Therefore a carrier’s participation status for the 2022-23 eligible revenue period directly determines whether it is within the charging population.

Practically, the instrument shifts monetary obligations onto carriers with recorded eligible revenue and onto those who operated network connections measured in MBA test segments. The monetary burden is concentrated: carriers with higher eligible revenue (ER) pay larger shares of the MCA less OTC pool; QRCSPs with larger eligible revenue share the CSPA pool; and carriers with larger counts of FLC in test segments share the APC pool. The instrument affects budgeting, accounting and compliance functions within carriers that held licences as at the specified date, and requires them to consult the Schedules (column 4 entries) and underlying ACMA/ACCC assessments to determine their specific amounts.

This instrument is not a general duty‑imposing statute; it is a determination that fixes monetary amounts and allocation rules. The key operative obligations and legal positions arising from the instrument, as read together with the definitions, are:

• Imposition of charges. For any carrier licence that is not an exempt carrier licence, the instrument prescribes the method of ascertaining the carrier licence charge and the arithmetic to be applied (section 9(1)‑(2)). The legal duty to pay the charge arises because the instrument defines the "amount of carrier licence charge imposed" for each carrier licence named in Schedule 1 (sections 8 and 9). The instrument itself specifies amounts by formula; the duty to pay and any collection mechanism will be governed by Part 3 of the Act (the instrument describes "carrier licence charge" as a charge within the meaning of Part 3 of the Act in section 6).

• Right to $0 if exempt. A carrier that qualifies as an "exempt carrier licence" per section 6 (i.e. the underlying carrier was a non‑participating person for the 2022-23 eligible revenue period) has the amount of carrier licence charge expressly set at $0 (section 8). The instrument confers that outcome; it does not provide a discretionary waiver mechanism.

• Reliance on external assessments. The instrument relies on external determinations and assessments: ACMA assessments of eligible revenue under subsection 47(1) of the TCPSS Act and ACCC information about FLC for the MBA test segments (notes to section 9 and definitions in section 6). The carrier's calculation depends on these administrative data pieces. Accordingly, a carrier's procedural right to query or seek review of the inputs will be subject to the processes in the ACMA’s and ACCC’s governing instruments and the principal Acts; the instrument itself does not set appeal channels or dispute resolution for those inputs.

• Specification of the pools and offsets. The instrument specifies that MCA excludes CSPA and MBA costs, and that OTC is subtracted from MCA because those OTC amounts have been recovered from other telecommunications charges (notes to section 9). That creates a mechanical right/obligation: carriers are not charged twice for OTC; but the instrument does not provide a mechanism within itself for carriers to claim OTC credits beyond the formula.

• Temporal scope and repeal. The instrument applies only to licences in force as at the beginning of the 2023-24 financial year (section 5) and is automatically repealed at the start of 1 July 2026 (section 4). The duty to pay under this instrument therefore subsists only during its operative period, subject to the principal Act’s enforcement procedures.

• Cross‑reference rights/duties. The instrument references other instruments and Acts (section 7) and thereby integrates into the broader regulatory framework for telecommunications. The rights and duties that arise from the instrument will be interpreted with reference to the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 and the Legislation Act 2003 where relevant (section 7 notes). For example, the definitions of ACMA’s telecommunications functions and powers referenced are those in subsection 15(4) of the principal Act (section 6 note).

In short, the instrument creates specific financial obligations via fixed formulae, establishes an explicit exemption class with a $0 outcome, and anchors the allocation to administrative data produced by ACMA and the ACCC. The instrument itself does not specify invoicing, payment timetables or enforcement steps; those procedural matters are contained in the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997 (which the instrument invokes as its parent legislation).

The instrument does not itself create new criminal offences, civil penalties or bespoke enforcement mechanisms. It is a determination that sets out amounts described as "carrier licence charge" within the meaning of Part 3 of the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997 (section 6). The Act contains the legal architecture for charging, invoicing, recovery and enforcement of carrier licence charges; this instrument operates within that architecture. The instrument therefore leaves the actual enforcement, recovery and penalty regime to the principal Act and to any regulations made under it.

Specific points apparent from the instrument text:

• No standalone sanctions. There are no penalty provisions, interest provisions, or default remedies in this determination document. The text focuses on numeric allocation methods and program cost pools. Any liability for late payment, interest on overdue amounts, registration consequences, or licence suspension related to non‑payment must be sought in the principal Act or its subordinate instruments; the instrument itself is silent on these matters.

• Treats amounts as Part 3 charges. By defining "carrier licence charge" as a charge within Part 3 of the Act (section 6), the determination engages the Part 3 statutory mechanisms. Practitioners must consult the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997 to determine how the amounts fixed by this instrument are to be billed, the statutory due dates, the body responsible for issuing invoices, the remedies available to the Commonwealth for recovery, and any interest or penalty rates applicable.

• Reliance on ACMA/ACCC data. The instrument ties amounts to administrative data from ACMA and the ACCC (ER and FLC). Disputes about those inputs will likely require engagement with the respective agency processes, and any enforcement or adjustment actions will depend on the timelines and legal remedies available under the TCPSS Act, the ACCC’s statutory powers, and the Act itself. The instrument does not provide for direct dispute resolution regarding the amounts; it relies on the broader statutory and administrative framework.

• Temporal repeal and effect on enforcement. The instrument has a specified repeal date (start of 1 July 2026, section 4). Repeal of a charging determination does not, by itself, extinguish existing recovery actions or rights to collect sums already due; whether outstanding liabilities survive repeal will be a matter governed by the principal Act and normal rules regarding transitional provisions and recovery of statutory charges. The determination does not state transitional enforcement provisions.

Practitioners therefore must treat this determination as the arithmetic authority for the amounts, and consult Part 3 of the principal Act and relevant ACMA/ACCC instruments and administrative guidance for the processes of assessment notification, payment timing, recovery, and dispute resolution. The instrument’s silence on penalties means the Act’s enforcement provisions will control.

This instrument is structured to operate in a network of statutory instruments and Acts. It expressly references and depends on several other statutory instruments and Acts; its operation cannot be understood in isolation. Key interactions:

• Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997 (the Act). The instrument is made under subsection 14(1) of the Act (section 3). It uses terminology from subsection 15(4) of the Act for "ACMA’s telecommunications functions" and "ACMA’s telecommunications powers" (section 6 note). The substantive charging, billing and enforcement powers come from Part 3 of the Act; the instrument merely quantifies the charge amounts to be imposed under that framework (section 6).

• Telecommunications Carrier Licence Charges (Specification of Costs by the ACMA) Determination 2024. Commencement of this instrument is conditional on the commencement of that ACMA specification instrument (section 2). The instrument notes that the ACMA instrument commences on 15 December 2024 (section 2, note). The MCA figure and the ACMA cost portions referenced in the notes to section 9 derive from amounts determined under paragraph 15(1)(a) of the Act in that ACMA instrument. Therefore the ACMA’s specification instrument is a necessary input and precondition. The instrument subtracts OTC, described as a portion of the ACMA’s telecommunications costs for 2022-23 that were recovered from other charges (section 9 notes and OTC definition).

• ACCC 15(1)(b) determination. APC (the MBA program cost) and the ACCC's 15(1)(b) determination feed into the instrument’s APC pool and the non‑MBA portion of the ACCC’s 15(1)(b) figure is included in MCA (section 9 notes). The instrument states that the ACCC made a 2024 determination under paragraph 15(1)(b), and that APC represents the ACCC’s MBA costs to be allocated here. The ACCC also supplies FLC data for allocation (section 9 notes).

• Ministerial 15(1)(d) determination. The instrument states the Minister made a determination under paragraph 15(1)(d) of the Act and that its amounts (excluding CSPA and MBA) are part of MCA (section 9 notes). Thus the Ministerial determination is another input to MCA.

• TCPSS Act (Telecommunications (Consumer Protection and Service Standards) Act 1999). The instrument uses eligible revenue and eligible revenue period as defined in the TCPSS Act (section 6). It relies on ACMA assessments under subsection 47(1) of the TCPSS Act for per‑carrier ER values (section 9 notes). Consequently, the definitions and assessment powers in the TCPSS Act directly influence the charging calculation.

• Telecommunications (Participating Persons) Determination 2015. The instrument defines "non‑participating person" by reference to that Determination (section 6). Whether a carrier qualifies as exempt depends on application of that Determination to their status for the 2022-23 eligible revenue period.

• Telecommunications (Consumer Complaints) Record‑Keeping Rules 2018. The definition of qualifying retail carriage service provider (QRCSP), which determines carriers listed in Schedule 2 and therefore the recipients of CSPA allocations, is taken from those Record‑Keeping Rules (section 6 notes). The instrument therefore depends on how QRCSP is defined in that set of rules.

• Acts Interpretation Act 1901 and Legislation Act 2003. Section 7 notes cross‑reference these Acts for interpretation of references to Commonwealth Acts and legislative instruments. This matters for temporal and cross‑instrument interpretation.

Operationally, the instrument stitches together cost specifications and data provided by ACMA and the ACCC, and draws on definitions and assessments made under other telecommunications legislation and subordinate instruments. Practitioners should therefore treat the determination as a node in a chain: the ACMA specification and ACCC determination supply cost numbers and data, the TCPSS Act supplies eligible revenue definitions and ACMA assessment processes, and other subordinate instruments determine participation status and QRCSP classification. Any challenge to a carrier’s charge may therefore require engagement with multiple administrative processes and possibly judicial review avenues applicable to those agencies and instruments.

The instrument text, as provided, does not record prior amendments, but it does state explicit temporal and conditional features that are relevant to its lifecycle. What the instrument itself records:

• Commencement is conditional. The instrument only commences on the later of its registration and immediately after the ACMA specification instrument commences; it further states it does not commence at all unless both events occur (section 2). The ACMA specification instrument is noted to commence on 15 December 2024. That conditionality is significant: the instrument will be inoperative if the ACMA instrument does not commence. The provided text repeats the commencement clause multiple times, but the operative rule is in section 2.

• Repeal date. The instrument is repealed at the start of 1 July 2026 (section 4). That repeal date is included three times in the provided text (repeated blocks), but the effect is that the instrument has a fixed shelf life, expiring before the commencement of the 2026-27 financial year. The instrument therefore appears intended to cover the 2023-24 charging year with an operational window extending to mid‑2026 to allow for administrative action under the Act.

• No recorded amendments within the instrument text. The instrument as presented contains no amendment history entries, no schedules of prior instruments being repealed beyond the general authority line, and no notes of earlier versions. It does not, for example, revoke or vary any earlier Annual Charges Determination in the text supplied. There is no internal schedule listing prior determinations that are amended or replaced.

• Linked instruments. The instrument repeatedly notes dependencies on other determinations made under subsection 15(1) of the principal Act: the ACMA specification, the ACCC’s paragraph 15(1)(b) determination, and the Minister’s paragraph 15(1)(d) determination (section 9 notes). Those linked instruments collectively determine the inputs that comprise MCA and the additional program pools, and their specifications can be varied or revised under their own processes; the present instrument treats their outputs as fixed numerical inputs.

Practitioners should therefore treat the instrument as a single fiscal‑year focused determination that sets fixed inputs and an expiry date. Any amendments to the amounts or formulas would require the preparation of a new legislative instrument under the principal Act, or the amendment of the linked ACMA/ACCC/Ministerial determinations whose outputs feed into the arithmetic here. Because the instrument relies on administrative assessments by other agencies, practical changes to inputs (for example, recalculated eligible revenue by ACMA) could only be reflected by a fresh instrument or a correction process that complies with the principal Act and the Legislation Act 2003 requirements for legislative instruments. The instrument itself does not contain an amendment clause or transitional amendment history.

The instrument text does not record any litigation history. It contains no references to court decisions, no mention of judicial review outcomes, and no statutory notes indicating that it was the subject of challenge (the instrument repeats substantive provisions several times but does not record litigation). As the instrument is a determination made under the principal Act, any legal challenges to decisions underpinning it (for example, ACMA assessments of eligible revenue, ACCC supplied FLC figures, or participation status under the Participating Persons Determination 2015) would be brought under the judicial review regimes applicable to administrative decisions or under the remedies available in the relevant Acts. The instrument itself provides no information about such proceedings.

For practitioners seeking to identify relevant case law or disputes, the proper course is to examine:

• Administrative decisions on eligible revenue assessments made by the ACMA under subsection 47(1) of the TCPSS Act, and any appeals or review proceedings arising from those assessments.

• ACCC administrative decisions and data‑provision processes relating to Measuring Broadband Australia FLC figures and any challenges to those data.

• Any judicial review proceedings challenging determinations under subsection 15(1) of the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997, where those determinations feed into the calculation here.

The instrument does not purport to be a repository of litigation outcomes; therefore, it records no litigation history. If legal challenges arise, they will be external to the instrument text and located in Federal Court or Administrative Tribunal reports and filings concerning the agencies and determinations referenced in the instrument.

There are several practical and legal pitfalls that arise from the instrument’s structure, timing and reliance on external inputs. These are matters that advisers and compliance officers should confirm before accepting or accounting for an invoice based on this determination:

• Conditional commencement. The instrument only commences if both (a) it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation and (b) the ACMA specification instrument commences (section 2). The second event is treated as essential , the instrument does not commence at all unless both events occur. If the ACMA instrument is delayed, amended or fails to commence, this instrument will remain inoperative. That is not a drafting quirk; it is an explicit legal dependency that can affect timetabling of billing cycles and contractual budgeting.

• Exemption depends on a separate determination. The $0 exempt outcome is tied to a carrier being a "non‑participating person" for the 2022-23 eligible revenue period, and "non‑participating person" is defined in the Telecommunications (Participating Persons) Determination 2015 (sections 6 and 8 notes). Whether a carrier is a non‑participating person will therefore depend on the application of that 2015 Determination and any administrative decisions applying it. Practitioners must not assume an absence of charge without confirming participation status under that separate instrument.

• Reliance on ACMA/ACCC data. The instrument relies on ACMA’s assessments of eligible revenue (as per subsection 47(1) of the TCPSS Act) and ACCC FLC data for MBA test segments (section 9 notes). If the carrier disputes the underlying eligible revenue or FLC figures, the instrument itself provides no internal correction mechanism; the carrier must pursue the relevant agency’s review procedures or other legal remedies. That interdependency can introduce timing and dispute complexity.

• Fixed numeric inputs. The instrument fixes totals such as MCA ($29,480,166), OTC ($220,203), TER ($25,474,470,520), CSPA ($581,350), TERQRCSP ($14,137,438,527), APC ($1,644,950) and TFLC (7,919,502) within its text (section 9 notes). Those numbers are not adjustable by the formula; they are hard inputs. Any arithmetic error or later adjustment in the ACMA/ACCC figures will require a new instrument (or corrective instrument) to change the numbers used here. Confirming the provenance and accuracy of those fixed inputs is therefore essential.

• Split cost pools create allocation complexity. The instrument separates the ACMA’s CSPA costs and the ACCC’s MBA costs from the MCA pool and allocates them on different bases (ER among QRCSPs and FLC among carriers in Schedule 3 respectively). Practically, a carrier that is in all three Schedules faces three different allocation bases and must reconcile multiple data sources to compute the single sum liability.

• Scope limited by point-in-time licence status. The instrument applies only to licences in force at the beginning of the 2023-24 financial year (section 5). Carriers that obtained licences after that cut‑off are not in scope for this determination, irrespective of later revenue or network size. That temporal scope can create anomalies where corporate restructures, acquisitions or transfers around the cut‑off date change which legal entity is liable.

• No payment timing or procedural detail in this instrument. The determination sets amounts and arithmetic but does not state how and when amounts are to be invoiced or paid. Those matters are governed by the principal Act. Do not assume invoicing or payment timing from this text alone; consult the Act and any ACMA/Departmental administrative guidance.

• Multiple repetitions in the instrument text. The provided text contains repeated blocks and duplicated clauses; practitioners should consult the official registered version on the Federal Register of Legislation to ensure they are working from the consolidated, authoritative document and that any editorial repetition in draft text has not obscured operative clauses or introduced typographical errors.

• Potential data confidentiality or verification constraints. The FLC data for MBA test segments is supplied by the ACCC and the eligible revenue figures by ACMA; carriers may have limited ability to independently verify these agency data sets, depending on the agencies’ disclosure policies. That may complicate challenges to the inputs.

• Repeal does not automatically remove recovery rights. The instrument is repealed at the start of 1 July 2026, but the instrument does not state that existing liabilities are extinguished on repeal. Recovery of outstanding amounts would be a matter for the principal Act; do not assume that repeal voids unpaid liabilities.

Each "gotcha" above follows from the text of the instrument and its cross‑references; none presumes facts outside the provided instrument. Practitioners should therefore make a checklist: confirm agency assessments/inputs, verify schedule listings for carrier ER/FLC values, confirm participation status under the 2015 Determination, consult the principal Act for payment and enforcement mechanics, and confirm whether the instrument actually commenced by checking the registration and the ACMA instrument’s commencement.

Compliance with this determination requires three discrete streams of action: establish scope and exemption status, obtain and reconcile the data required by the formulae, and interface with the carrier licence charge payment and administrative procedures in the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997. The instrument supplies the arithmetic but not the invoicing mechanics. Practical steps for compliance:

1. Confirm applicability and commencement

   • Verify that the carrier licence was in force at the beginning of the 2023-24 financial year (section 5). If it was not, this instrument does not apply to that licence.
   • Confirm whether the instrument commenced. Under section 2 the instrument commences on the later of registration on the Federal Register and the commencement of the ACMA specification instrument. Check the Federal Register for registration and verify that the Telecommunications Carrier Licence Charges (Specification of Costs by the ACMA) Determination 2024 has commenced (noted to commence on 15 December 2024 in the text). If the ACMA instrument did not commence, this determination will not have commenced.

2. Determine exemption status

   • Determine whether the carrier was a "non‑participating person" for the eligible revenue period 1 July 2022 to 30 June 2023, using the Telecommunications (Participating Persons) Determination 2015 (section 6). If so, the instrument prescribes the charge as $0 (section 8). Obtain documentary confirmation from the agency or records indicating participating status for that period.

3. Identify which Schedules apply

   • Check Schedule 1 to see whether the carrier is named in column 2; if so, find the carrier’s ER figure in column 4 , that ER is the value used in the main allocation (section 9 and notes).
   • If the carrier appears in Schedule 2, obtain the ERQRCSP figure from column 4 in Schedule 2 (section 9(4) note) , Schedule 2 contains carriers who were QRCSPs in 2022-23 and their eligible revenue.
   • If the carrier appears in Schedule 3, obtain the FLC figure from column 4 in Schedule 3 (section 9(5) and notes).

4. Compute the charge using the prescribed formulae

   • Main pool: compute (MCA − OTC) × (ER / TER), using the fixed numbers in the instrument: MCA $29,480,166; OTC $220,203; TER $25,474,470,520 (section 9(3) notes). Use the carrier’s ER from Schedule 1 column 4.
   • CSPA pool (if in Schedule 2): compute CSPA × (ERQRCSP / TERQRCSP), where CSPA is $581,350 and TERQRCSP is $14,137,438,527 (section 9(4) notes). Use the ERQRCSP from Schedule 2 column 4.
   • APC/MBA pool (if in Schedule 3): compute APC × (FLC / TFLC), where APC is $1,644,950 and TFLC is 7,919,502 (section 9(5) notes). Use the FLC from Schedule 3 column 4.
   • Add the applicable components to obtain the total annual carrier licence charge for the carrier licence (section 9(2)). Keep calculation worksheets and source references (Schedules, ACMA/ACCC statements) for audit.

5. Retain and reconcile agency inputs

   • Keep copies of the ACMA eligible revenue assessments (subsection 47(1) TCPSS Act) that produced the per‑carrier ER numbers used in the calculation (section 9 notes). If there is a discrepancy between your internal records and ACMA’s assessment, raise it with ACMA using the review or correction procedures applicable to those assessments.
   • For FLC and MBA inputs, obtain the ACCC’s statement or dataset that provides the FLC numbers and TFLC (section 9(5) notes). Record the source, the test segments used, and the attribution methodology.

6. Follow billing and payment procedures in the principal Act

   • Consult Part 3 of the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997 to identify billing, invoicing, payment dates, administrative contacts for payment and the consequences of non‑payment. The instrument is silent on timing and modalities (section 6), so compliance requires following the Act and any departmental guidance.
   • Ensure that the corporate entity that holds the carrier licence is the entity that receives the invoice and arranges payment. If corporate restructures occurred around the relevant dates, check whether the licence holder changed and whether obligations have transferred.

7. Document challenges and seek remedies through proper channels

   • If you dispute the ACMA assessment of eligible revenue, the ACCC’s FLC data, or the carrier’s classification as a QRCSP or non‑participating person, follow the administrative review, correction or appeal processes available under the relevant statutory instruments (TCPSS Act, ACCC processes, Participating Persons Determination 2015). The determination itself offers no internal dispute mechanism for its inputs.
   • Preserve correspondence and submissions to agencies and obtain written confirmation of any corrected inputs, since the determination ties the arithmetic to agency outputs.

8. Budgeting and commercial considerations

   • Build the expected charge into financial budgets and customer pricing where required, but do not modify customer contracts unilaterally without checking contractual terms: the instrument sets statutory charges, not customer prices. If a charge is material, consider whether to engage commercial advisers to assess pass‑through to customers or contract renegotiation implications.
   • Note the instrument’s repeal date (start of 1 July 2026, section 4) and the temporal scope (applies to licences in force at the start of 2023-24, section 5) when projecting multi‑year costs.

9. Audit trail and record‑keeping

   • Keep a complete audit trail: the carrier licence, the Schedule entries, ACMA and ACCC source documents, the calculation worksheets, correspondence with agencies, and proof of payment under the Act. These will be necessary in the event of administrative review or if an agency audits carrier compliance.

10. Validate against official published instrument

• Because the provided text contains duplicated passages, always confirm calculations against the official registered version on the Federal Register of Legislation and any explanatory materials or calculators provided by the department or the agencies.

Following these steps will align practice with the instrument’s mechanics as set out in sections 5, 6, 8 and 9 and the various notes explaining the provenance of the numeric inputs. Where the determination is silent , notably on invoicing, payment timing, and enforcement , compliance requires reference to the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Charges) Act 1997 and liaison with the administering agency.