Proposed ACMA fees for service 2022–23 - consultation 22/2022

On 1 September 2022, the Minister for Communications approved the Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) for radiocommunications, telecommunications and broadcasting service fees for 2022–23. The fees are effective from 1 October 2022. You can access the document under ‘Fees for radiocommunications, telecommunications and broadcasting services' on our CRIS page. 

Under the Australian Government Charging Framework, we reviewed all existing fees for radiocommunications, telecommunications and broadcasting services. This ensures the cost recovery fees and the way we calculate them remains relevant.

The review recommended a number of changes to existing fees. We recently made several determinations, commencing 1 October 2022, that reflect these new fees.

While some individual fees increased, there are a large number that have been reduced, or removed altogether. Based on recent volumes for radiocommunications, telecommunications and broadcasting services, the estimated impact to industry under the new fees is expected to be an overall cost reduction of 36% from previous fees.

We received and considered 5 submissions from industry. These are available at the bottom of this page. You can also find a summary of the feedback on pages 18–19 of the CRIS. We made no changes to the proposed charges as a result of the submissions.

We monitor the effectiveness and efficiency of the fees we charge for our services on an ongoing basis.

We have examined our current fees in line with the Australian Government Charging Framework – the overarching framework that we use to plan, implement and review our charging activities.

The existing fees for radiocommunications, telecommunications and broadcasting services, including telephone number allocations are set out in the following determinations:

• Radiocommunications (Charges) Determination 2017
• Radiocommunications (Digital Radio Multiplex Transmitter Licences – Application Fee) Determination 2012
• Telecommunications (Charges) Determination 2012
• Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Application Charge) Determination 2012
• Broadcasting (Charges) Determination 2017
• Telecommunications (Numbering Charges) (Allocation Charge) Determination 2015.

Under the Australian Government Cost Recovery Guidelines, we must prepare a Cost Recovery Implementation Statement (CRIS) and consult with relevant stakeholders before implementing the proposed fees.

The draft CRIS is available to download above. It includes details of the proposed fees, including the methodology we used to calculate them, as well as explaining any variances.

We have provided a list of current and proposed fees in Attachment A of the CRIS document. You can download drafts of the proposed new determinations above, and more information about these instruments is available below.

Numbering charges

This review also includes fees for allocating and administering most of Australia’s telephone numbers specified in the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 2015. See the attached Telecommunications (Numbering Charges) (Allocation Charge) Amendment Determination 2022 (No. 1) – consultation paper and draft determination for more information.

Draft Radcoms determination

The draft Radcoms Determination proposes to revoke and remake the Radiocommunications (Charges) Determination 2017. The changes to the existing fees and the new fees to be introduced are described in the draft CRIS (see sections 3.1.1 and 3.3.1 to 3.3.11) and in Attachment A to the draft CRIS (see Ref 1 to 218). In addition to the changes to the description of the fees and changes to the fee amounts, the draft Radcoms determination also contains a new section 10 which sets out when, and by whom, the charges specified in Schedule 1 to the determination are to be paid.

The draft Radcoms Determination also accommodates the changes that were made by the Radiocommunications Legislation Amendment (Reform and Modernisation) Act 2020 to the Radiocommunications Act 1992 which resulted in changes to some existing radiocommunications fees and the implementation of new fees

Part 3 of the draft Radcoms Determination sets out the transitional arrangements. Where a fee is determined in accordance with the hourly rate, special hourly rate A or special hourly rate B, given that the hourly rates are increasing, the transitional provisions (see sections 19 and 20) ensure that a person who makes a request for a service of a kind mentioned in the relevant item of Schedule 1 to the Radcoms determination prior to the commencement of the determination, has any payable fees calculated using the hourly rates specified in items 1 to 4 of Schedule 1 to the Radiocommunications (Charges) Determination 2017. The other transitional provisions (see sections 21 and 22) relate to the variation of spectrum licences and the supply of an adjacent services listing or a frequency scan report.

We’ve updated the names of apparatus licences in the Radcoms Determination and included definitions of the licence types so that you can easily identify the licences concerned. We’ve also changed the structure of the determination to make it easier to read and follow.

Draft Radio Multiplex Determination

The changes proposed to be made by the draft Radio Multiplex Determination to the Radiocommunications (Digital Radio Multiplex Transmitter Licences – Application Fee) Determination 2012 are outlined in the draft CRIS (see sections 3.1.1 and 3.3.12).

Draft Telco Determination

The draft Telco Determination proposes to revoke and remake the Telecommunications (Charges) Determination 2012. The changes to the fees and the hourly rate are outlined in the CRIS (see sections 3.1.2 and 3.3.13 to 3.3.15) and Attachment A to the draft CRIS (see Ref 221 to 244). In addition, the proposed transitional provisions in Part 3 of the Telco determination have been included to ensure that where a deposit required to be paid (see items 3.1, 4.1, 5.1, 5.2 and 6.4 of Schedule 1 to the draft Telco determination) is paid before the commencement of the Telco determination, the deposit is taken to be a deposit of a kind mentioned in the relevant section of the Telecommunications (Charges) Determination 2012 (see sections 11 to 14 of the Telco determination).

Draft Telco Carrier Licence Determination

The draft Telco Carrier Licence Determination proposes to revoke and remake the Telecommunications (Carrier Licence Application Charge) Determination 2012 which sunsets on 1 October 2022. The changes to the application charge are described in the CRIS (see section 3.1.2) and set out in Attachment A to the CRIS (see Ref 245).

Draft Broadcasting Determination

The draft Broadcasting Determination proposes to amend the Broadcasting (Charges) Determination 2017 and the Radiocommunications (Allocation of Transmitter Licences – High Powered Open Narrowcasting Licences) Determination 2014 (HPON Allocation Determination). The changes to the Broadcasting (Charges) Determination 2017 are described in the CRIS (see sections 3.1.3 and 3.3.16 to 3.3.18) and the fees are set out in Attachment A to the draft CRIS (see Ref 246 to 256). The amendment to the HPON Allocation Determination is a minor consequential change which will result from the revocation of the Radiocommunications (Charges) Determination 2017 and the making of the proposed Radcoms determination.