ACCC issues discussion paper on the digital radio access regime

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission today issued a discussion paper seeking stakeholders' views on the access regime that will apply to digital radio.

Digital radio licences are expected to be allocated to joint venture companies who will manage the digital radio transmission equipment in each licence area. Once the digital radio licences that are subject to the access regime have been allocated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the licensees must lodge an access undertaking with the ACCC.

The access undertakings specify the manner in which the licensees are to provide access to transmission capacity to individual digital radio broadcasters in each licence area.

"The ACCC will be responsible for assessing the access undertakings submitted by the licensees," ACCC Chairman, Mr Graeme Samuel, said today. "The ACCC may determine procedural rules and decision making criteria in advance to facilitate the access undertaking assessment process. The ACCC will also have an ongoing role in overseeing the access regime, including any subsequent variations of undertakings."

The ACCC is seeking submissions from interested parties on the issues raised in the discussion paper.

Copies of the discussion paper will be available on the ACCC's website. Interested parties are requested to make submissions by 2 November 2007.

Submissions can be made to: Director, Convergence, Communications Group, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, GPO Box 520, Melbourne, VIC 3001. Submissions can also be lodged by email to digitalradio@accc.gov.au.

Background

Digital radio services will commence in the six state capital cities by 1 January 2009. The Australian Communications and Media Authority will be responsible for managing the allocation of the licences. Initially, the ACMA is expected to allocate nine apparatus licences for digital radio that will be subject to the digital radio access regime. Further details of ACMA's processes can be found on its website, www.acma.gov.au.