MEDIA RELEASE - New regulations for next-generation broadband systems

Monday 2 November 2015

The Government today announced new measures to enable industry to manage interference between next-generation broadband systems and legacy systems using copper cables.

The Telecommunications Amendment (Next-Generation Broadband Interference Management) Regulation 2015 will enable industry to develop a code to manage broadband performance when there is competition on a single cable bundle.

NBN Co, through its agreements with Telstra, will be the main provider of next generation broadband services over the Telstra copper network, including where this network services multi-unit buildings like apartment blocks.

However, Australia has an open and competitive telecommunications marketplace and there is scope for alternative providers to supply competing next-generation services over the same bundle of copper cables. When multiple providers want to operate competing systems, there is a need to manage interference between services.

The Government’s aim is for industry to put in place self-regulatory mechanisms to deal with management of these interference issues to the greatest extent possible. 

Key principles to guide industry when drafting the code are being finalised and will be released shortly.

The code, once developed, can be registered and enforced by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The regulation also enables the ACMA to establish its own standard if necessary.

The new regulation will be available on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments at www.comlaw.gov.au.