Changes to spectrum allocation & communications regulators

Date:

The government is likely to make decisions by Christmas 2002, or soon thereafter, about a new spectrum allocation system and merger of regulators. Several players asked us to provide this one opportunity to canvass the issues, and to help all to understand and discuss them.

Issues included:

Remove broadcasting planning (and possibly licensing) to the ACA
Merge the ABA and ACA into a single body
Implement far-reaching Productivity Commission proposals to change the rules for broadcasting and telecommunications spectrum
Revise regulatory structures to cater for the new, digital, environment

The programme:

The overall plan was to emphasise spectrum issues in two morning sessions, moving towards merged or new regulators in the afternoon.

Highlighting the submissions made to the government

Kirsten Harley, Network Insight Power Point

Session 1: A telecommunications and television perspective

Julie Flynn, Chief Executive Officer, Commercial Television Australia [FACTS] Speech
Paul Paterson, Director Regulatory, Telstra Power Point

Session 2: Assessing the options

Kaaren Koomen, General Manager, Multimedia Regulation & Strategy, Optus
Bob Greeney, Director, Broadcasting & Radio Technology Services Power Point
Tony Shaw, Chairman, Australian Communications Authority

Session 3: Mix and match versions of the ACA and ABA

Kim Dalton, Chief Executive, Australian Film Commission Speech
Barry Melville, Executive Director, Community Broadcasting Association of Australia
Giles Tanner, General Manager, Australian Broadcasting Authority Points

Session 4: Ideas for a new convergent regulator

Chris Atkins, Partner, Accenture
Peter James, Partner, Allens Arthur Robinson
Malcolm Long, Managing Director, malcolm long associates Power Point

This conference was held in the usual Network Insight format:

Brief presentations from each panel of speakers, then plenty of time for discussion.
Very tightly-packed program, with focus on substance; no time-wasting introductions.
There was no written papers of speakers.
A summary of submissions from all the players in the recent inquiries was provided.

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