The Australian government has announced that 2.4 GHz of spectrum in the 26 GHz band will be made available for spectrum licensing to power the rollout of 5G services across Australia. Paul Fletcher, Australia’s Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, has issued a spectrum re‑allocation declaration to enable part of the 26 GHz band (25.1 to 27.5 GHz) to be re‑allocated for spectrum licensing.
This decision is in line with a spectrum re‑allocation recommendation provided by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). ACMA plans to allocate these spectrum licences by auction in early 2021. The re-allocation is also part of ACMA's broader plan to make spectrum available for 5G technologies in Australia through a flexible mix of class, apparatus and spectrum licensing.
The ACMA has also announced it has commissioned a report by an independent consultant, to evaluate the potential for co-existence between NBN Co's Sky Muster satellite services and 5G mobile broadband services in the 27 to 27.5 GHz frequency range.
