Spectrum Management for a Converging World: Case Study on Australia International Telecommunication Union
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History, politics and economyAustralia has been inhabited for at least 50,000 years, since the remote ancestors of the current Australian aborigines arrived from present-day Southeast Asia. The land was not discovered by Europeans until the seventeenth century, when it was sighted and visited by several expeditions. It was claimed for the United Kingdom in 1770, and first colonized in New South Wales in 1788 as an English penal colony. In 1901, the former British colonies — now the six States — agreed to federate and Australia became a commonwealth, or dominion, within the British Empire, thereby becoming independent (though full formal independence took a considerable time after that). The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy based on a federal state system recognising the British monarch as sovereign. The Queen is therefore the official Head of State and is represented by the Governor General, who is appointed by the Queen on advice of the elected Australian Government.2 The executive power theoretically vested in the Crown is exercised by an elected cabinet headed by a Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is almost always the leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives (150 seats), which is one of the two chambers of the federal parliament, the other being the Senate (76 seats). Elections for both chambers are held every three years. The State (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania) and Territory Governments in Australia are responsible for all matters not assigned to the Commonwealth, e.g. environmental management. State parliaments are subject to the national constitution and federal law overrides any State laws that are inconsistent. Australia is highly industrialized, and manufactured goods account for most of the gross domestic product (GDP). Its chief industries include mining, food processing, and the manufacture of industrial and transportation equipment, chemicals, iron and steel, textiles, machinery, and motor vehicles. Australia has valuable mineral resources, including coal, iron, bauxite, copper, tin, lead, zinc, and uranium; the country is an important producer of opals and diamonds. The country is self-sufficient in food, and the raising of sheep and cattle and the production of grain have long been staple occupations. Tropical and subtropical produce — citrus fruits, sugarcane, and tropical fruits — are also important, and there are numerous vineyards and dairy and tobacco farms. Australia has a prosperous economy, with a per capita GDP on a par with the four dominant West European economies. Rising output in the domestic economy has been offsetting the global slump, and business and consumer confidence remains robust. Australia's emphasis on market-based reforms is considered as another key factor behind the economy's strength (see Table 2.2.). Table 2.2: Economic data
Source: Economist Intelligence Unit, The Economist. Table 2.3 shows some of the Australian foreign trade relationships. Notably, Australia's economic ties with Asia and the Pacific Rim have become increasingly important. Table 2.3: Main Australian trade relationships (2002-2003)
Source: EIU, The Economist. Australia's communications, transport, and other infrastructure elements are undergoing major review and restructuring to make them more internationally competitive [3]. Major initiatives since 1996 have included: opening Australia's telecommunication market to full competition; privatization of airports through the sale of long-term leases; establishment of a national heavy vehicle regulation and charging regime and moves towards private investment and participation in road building and management; the establishment of a national electricity market in which electricity retailers can compete, and the introduction of free and fair trade, including national open access, in gas markets. Communications industry profileThe mobile communications market has been one of the largest areas of growth in Australia in recent years, and the outlook is for continued growth. The number of mobile services increased by 1.6 million over 2002‑03. This took the total number of mobile phone services in operation to approximately 14.3 million, representing an annual increase of 12.6 per cent. The mobile communications device penetration rate may exceed 100 per cent within the next five years. On 30 June 2003, there were approximately 11.58 million fixed telephone services in operation compared with 11.4 million recorded in 2001-02 [19]. Interestingly, Australia’s terrestrial mobile phone networks can reach approximately 98 per cent of the country's population, but cover less than 18 per cent of the land area (see Figure 2.3). F   igure 2.3: Mobile phone coverage Source: DCITA The 1998 and 2000 radiocommunication spectrum auctions in the 800 MHz and 1.8 GHz bands facilitated entry into the market of several new mobile phone carriers. The introduction of low earth orbiting satellites is offering new opportunities to deliver satellite-based mobile phone services covering the entire Australian land mass (a subsidy of up to A$1,100 is available for the purchase of a satellite mobile phone handset for people who live or work in areas not covered by terrestrial mobile services). Broadband is provided over a variety of technology platforms in Australia, including cable, satellite (available to all Australians), wireless systems, and the copper wire based telephone network. Almost 8.4 million Australians use the Internet to gather information, communicate with others and undertake transactions for business, community and recreational purposes. The evolution of the main information and communication technology (ICT) indicators for Australia is shown in Figure 2.4 where it is seen that the number of mobile subscribers overcame that of fixed in year 2001. A comparison of mobile phone penetration amongst Asia-Pacific countries is given in Figure 2.5. Figure 2.4: Evolution of fixed, mobile and Internet users in Australia 
Source: ITU ICT Indicators. Figure 2.5: Mobile subscribers per 100 inhabitants (2002) 
Source: ITU ICT Indicators. Wireless broadbandIn May 2002, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Communications, Information Technology and the Arts has been asked by the Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, to inquire into and report on the current and potential use of wireless technologies to provide broadband communication services in Australia, including regional Australia. The Committee’s inquiry report on Wireless Broadband Technologies was published on 11 November 2002. Annex 4 summarizes the recommendations contained in the report. As at the beginning of 2004, the Government had yet to formally respond to the report. Directory: osg -> spu spu -> Riefing Paper spu -> 3g mobile Policy: The Case of Sweden spu -> The case of ghana spu -> Contents : Introduction Part a the themes spu -> 3g mobile Licensing Policy spu -> Telecom network migration to ip and its impact on the future of telecommunications spu -> Colombia: ip telephony and the Internet spu -> Itu workshop on creating trust in critical network infrastructures spu -> Nternational Download 1.53 Mb. Share with your friends:
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