Consultation on the Telecommunications Reform Package

The Australian Government has released Exposure Drafts on proposed changes to the regulatory regime applying to superfast broadband. The legislation is designed to give effect to the Australian Government's response to the Independent Cost-Benefit Analysis and Review of Regulation and has been informed by the detailed analysis undertaken by the Bureau of Communications Research (BCR) on funding NBN Co Limited's (nbn) non-commercial services to rural and regional Australia.

• BCR Final Report (March 2016)
• Media Release

The reforms are designed to:

• improve the underlying competitive framework in which superfast broadband infrastructure providers operate
• formalise the Australian Government's commitment to a ubiquitous National Broadband Network by establishing a Statutory Infrastructure Provider regime to ensure people in Australia can access a superfast broadband service, no matter where they live or work
• enable services to regional areas to be sustainably funded into the future through the introduction of the Regional Broadband Scheme, that will require all eligible broadband network providers to contribute, alongside nbn, towards the long-term costs of regional Australia's nbn satellite and fixed wireless services.

Consultation on the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 2017 and Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Bill 2017 Exposure Drafts are open until 3 February 2017. The Australian Government intends for the legislation to commence from 1 July 2017.

Enquiries about issues raised in the consultation draft can be directed by email to telco.reform [at] communications.gov.au.