Expiring spectrum licences

Spectrum licences across a range of bands will expire between June 2028 and October 2032.

Our expiring spectrum licence (ESL) framework focuses on the use of the spectrum to promote the long-term public interest.

In our Five-year spectrum outlook 2023–28 (FYSO 2023–28), we identified our ESL work program as a key priority. Most in-force spectrum licences will expire between June 2028 and October 2032. 

The ESL framework includes a 4-stage consultative process to guide our assessment of options for use of the spectrum covered by ESLs and facilitate applications for renewal by incumbent licensees. It also outlines our decision-making process. 

The table below shows the stages and timing.

At the request of the Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP, we have considered rollout obligations and use-it-or-lose-it (UIOLI) and use-it-or-share-it (UIOSI) conditions to deliver key policy outcomes. These include:

• broader coverage
• efficient spectrum use
• competition and choice in the Australian context. 

Informed by research, and views of submitters received to our expiring spectrum licences (ESL) stage 2 consultation, we conclude that:

• Rollout obligations in spectrum licences are unlikely to be the most effective path to achieve broader coverage in Australia.
• UIOLI conditions are not well suited to Australia’s national wireless broadband spectrum-licensing frameworks.
• Place-based secondary licensing frameworks have the potential to promote competition and consumer choice in regional, rural and remote Australia. They are more fit-for-purpose than UIOSI conditions.

A secondary licensing framework would allow us to facilitate place-based services to use parts of the spectrum that incumbent licensees are either not using or do not plan to use over the short to medium-term. 

In November 2024, we provided a report of our advice to the minister. In February 2025, the minister agreed to publish our advice and asked us to work with the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts to further explore a secondary licensing framework. 

On 23 April 2024, the minister issued the Radiocommunications (Ministerial Policy Statement – Expiring Spectrum Licences) Instrument 2024 (the MPS). The MPS specifies 5 Australian Government communications policy objectives that the ACMA must consider in the design and consideration of the ESL process: 

1. Supporting service continuity for end users, particularly where no alternative service is available.
2. Facilitating opportunities for new entrants and use cases, including for low earth orbit satellites
3. Connectivity and investment in regional and remote areas to deliver improved services to end users
4. Promote competition
5. Capacity for sustained investment and innovation

The MPS does not apply to ESLs being used in the 2.5 GHz mid-band gap or the 1800 MHz band, which are currently being used for electronic news gathering and rail safety.

Read more about the MPS on the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts’ website.

ESLs in the related frequency bands below are used to deliver wireless broadband (WBB), rail safety communications, and electronic news gathering (ENG).