RadComms 2024 - Melbourne

Good morning,

Thank you Chair, Nerida O’Loughlin (PSM) for your introduction and inviting me to speak.
 
Good morning to all the Authority Members & hardworking staff of the ACMA, and the industry here today.
 
Some of you may be aware that ACMA Deputy Chair, Creina Chapman, who has expertly held the position since 2018, is retiring and not seeking reappointment.
 
Creina, over the past six years, you have made an outstanding contribution to the ACMA and Australia’s communications and media landscape.
 
You have contributed to reforms that have made a real difference to connectivity and consumer safety. And you have always conducted yourself with kindness and compassion.
 
Thank you for brining your intellect & integrity to this very important role. You have made this regulator stronger.
 
I am pleased to be here for RadComms 2024, which is exploring the contribution of the digital economy and spectrum to a better-connected Australia.
 
I acknowledge the Traditional Owners - the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. I pay respect to elders past and present.
 
I extend this to First Nations people in attendance, including Associate Professor Lyndon Ormond-Parker, Co-Chair of the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group, established by the Albanese Government.
 
Dr Ormond-Parker and Co-Chair, Dot West (OAM), have expertly led the Advisory Group, engaging many First Nations communities - indeed many of you in this room.
 
The Advisory Group’s initial report to Government is the culmination of this.

It has been insightful as to how - in partnership with First Nations peoples - we can support digital inclusion.
 
Our Government is delivering on key recommendations of the report, including  free community Wi-Fi in around 20 remote communities, to provide better opportunities for education and training, employment and jobs, and improved access to essential services and information.
 
We have also established a digital support hub and network of digital mentors, and improving the national collection of data on First Nations digital inclusion.
 
It is wonderful to address RadComms for a second time as Communications Minister.
 
The theme of this year’s event is: Supporting the present, empowering the future.
 
It is an opportunity to explore how spectrum can deliver the applications and technologies that will shape our future.
 
Telecommunications, technology, broadcasting and the media is evolving fast.
 
Our connectedness and economic prosperity as a country hinges on how we best manage this transition.
 
Managing radiofrequency spectrum, and regulating services in this fast-changing environment presents some challenges.
 
But by mitigating risks, embracing technological change, and supporting business certainty, we can foster the opportunities.
 
At RadComms 2022, I spoke about the importance of stability and predictability around radiofrequency spectrum management.
 
We allocated close to $28 million to support the ACMA’s delivery of a modernised spectrum management system and a new auction capability.
 
Building on the theme of stability and predictability, today I will discuss how the Albanese Government’s approach is supporting industry and consumers.
 
Labor’s vision is for Australia to become the most connected continent on earth. And we can’t do this without the efficient use of spectrum.
 
Spectrum licences across a number of highly important bands are due to expire from 2028 to 2032.  Industry needs sufficient time to plan and deploy communications services using that spectrum.
 
It is the role of Government to provide clarity to licensees, and potential licensees, through our policy objectives.
 
This is why I issued a Ministerial Policy Statement on Expiring Spectrum Licences to the ACMA in April.
 
This aims to provide the ACMA with a strategic direction in reaching its decisions throughout the expiring spectrum licence process, and ensuring outcomes are in the long-term public interest.
 
The Statement sets out the Albanese Government’s key communications policy objectives, including capacity for sustained investment and innovation.
 
For improved connectivity and investment in regional, rural and remote areas.
 
And the key objective of better services in the long-term interests of consumers.
 
The Albanese Government’s $1.1 billion Better Connectivity Plan for Regional and Rural Australia has made significant inroads into improving mobile coverage across the country. 
 
More efficient spectrum use is central to the significant upgrades we are delivering across the National Broadband Network: from fibre to fixed-wireless and Sky Muster.
 
In addition to our $2.4 billion investment in fibre to 1.5 million more premises, we have invested $480 million to deliver better, faster fixed wireless broadband to regional communities.
 
This, in turn, is improving the customer experience for those on Sky Muster, which is now unmetered thanks to the Albanese Government.
 
We are delivering the quality communications infrastructure Australians rightly expect and deserve across the technology mix. And we are doing this on time and on budget.
 
A further development that is making a positive impact is the increasing role that tower infrastructure operators are playing in bringing innovations to the market, like spectrum-sharing projects in regional areas.
 
Investments by industry in the expanding peri-urban areas will help keep pace with ever growing community demand for mobile connectivity.
 
Our Peri-Urban Mobile Program – PUMP – and reforms to new housing estate deployments, demonstrates how Government and industry can work together to deliver on community connectivity expectations.     
 
But there are still areas, and communities, that experience poor, inadequate or even no mobile service. We know that mobile connectivity is not widely available in many First Nations communities, for example, or even on the outskirts of major regional towns.
 
We have received this feedback from the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group and the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee. I look forward to receiving the Committee’s final report to Government later this year.
 
When we talk about connectivity, we are also talking about the quality of service.
 
I am hearing from people living and working in rural and regional areas that while their device may display reception bars, congestion and capacity issues often translate into slow connections and limited capability beyond basic text and voice functionality.
 
In other words, their smart phones and devices are anything but.
 
The Ministerial guidance I provided to the ACMA regarding the management of expiring spectrum licences was purposefully broad in scope.
 
It encourages the ACMA to develop a considered view on the use of alternative licensing conditions in its expiring spectrum licence process. For example: 

• rollout or deployment commitments;
• harnessing spectrum and infrastructure-sharing efficiencies; and
• innovative approaches to connecting the perpetually under-connected – First Nations, regional and remote communities.

Today’s digital, technological and market environment is starkly different to that of 15 years ago, when expiring licences were first issued.
 
And it continues to evolve.
 
The Ministerial Guidance to the ACMA is ambitious, and it forms part of our broader objective to set Australia up to become the most connected continent.
 
As we work towards this future, we must also consider what lies ahead for television broadcasting.
 
I am on the record & I reiterate it here – I believe in the broadcasting platform.

A central goal of our media reform program is to support the important role of free-to-air television broadcasting in Australian society.
 
This is demonstrated through the prominence framework the Albanese Labor Government legislated and our reforms to the anti-siphoning scheme.
 
Free-to-air television services are integral to our media ecosystem: 

• they are the conduits for Australian stories;
• they are the trusted source of news to millions; and
• they provide the sporting moments that define our national psyche. 

But there is significant uncertainty as to what television broadcasting will look like in 10, or 20 years.
 
What we can be sure of, is that it will not be what it is now.
 
Audience and technology trends are clear. There is an ongoing shift from linear content consumption to on-demand.
 
But - that does not mean a ‘lights out’ moment for broadcasting. We know most Australians are hybrid users, utilising on-demand services alongside linear consumption.
 
And terrestrial and satellite broadcasting networks can do things that are still not possible in the online environment in terms of reliability and service provision.
 
There is an essential and ongoing role for broadcasters in our media future, but broadcasting must change.
 
A sustainable future for broadcasting will require changes to the way in which broadcasters operate and the way they reach their audiences.
 
Choices will need to be made now if we are to realise that future.

Free-to-air television broadcasting is entering a period of unmanaged transition.
 
Consumer consumption preferences and falling revenue are - despite deep cost cutting initiatives – putting some broadcasters in a position where they can’t keep the doors open, for certain services.
 
We saw this with the closure of Mildura Digital Television in July.
 
If we stay on this unmanaged pathway, these trends will continue: more service closures in remote and regional markets, where the financial pressures are greatest. These pressures may eventually manifest in the larger cities.
 
Allowing a sector that delivers so much to Australian consumers to grind to a halt, for services to blink out, is not in the interests of local communities.
 
For consumers, it will mean less diversity and less choice. It will mean some consumers get left behind.
 
For industry, it will be increasingly difficult to raise the capital needed for much needed business transformation.
 
For Government, it will mean that the achievement of key public policy outcomes will be diminished: an informed citizenry; a strong and vibrant democracy; and engaged and cohesive local communities.
 
But an unmanaged transition is not the only way forward.
 
There is no going back to the golden era of television that existed before the internet, and nor should we want to.
 
Consumers have never had so much choice.
 
The reality is that commercial television broadcasting cannot continue in the manner it has done over the past decades.
 
This is simply not sustainable.
 
The way the industry uses radiofrequency spectrum needs to be examined.
 
Industry has been making enhancements. Many broadcasters have made, or are making, the transition to MPEG-4 which improves the efficiency and quality of services.
 
We have seen certain broadcasters make changes to their spectrum use that would have been unthinkable only a few years ago.
 
In South Australia, WIN Television has consolidated the services of two networks onto one television multiplex in two regional markets.
 
WIN has realised cost savings without eroding services available to audiences.
 
This is a portent for the future.
 
A sustainable television broadcasting sector will necessitate some form of spectrum and infrastructure consolidation, and changes in the way content is delivered. 
 
Achieving an efficient consolidation will be challenging, but it is a goal that the Albanese Government is committed to.
 
We are supporting the sector under the existing regulatory framework.
 
We have introduced the Regional Broadcasting Continuity Bill 2024 to remove impediments that would otherwise prevent WIN, or any other broadcaster, from consolidating services onto a single multiplex and operating their transmitters more efficiently.
 
This won’t, of itself, guarantee financial sustainability for broadcasters. But it is an important initiative to enable them to seek out efficiencies where they can.     
 
Another way we’ve provided stability to the sector is with the passage of legislation in March this year to repeal the 30 June expiry date for community television licences in Melbourne and Adelaide.
 
This means that these broadcasters will continue to remain on-air and provide valuable services until there is an alternative use for the radiofrequency spectrum.
 
The Government has also moved to promote stability by ensuring continuity of the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service over the next seven years. VAST is essential to over 1.5 million Australians who rely on it – either directly or indirectly – to access free-to-air television in remote Australia or those in areas with poor terrestrial reception. 
 
We have otherwise been undertaking an audit of remote and regional television infrastructure.
 
We know transmission and reception equipment is at, or beyond, end-of-life in many remote and regional areas, including the VAST services in First Nations communities.
 
This undermines the ability of people in those communities to access the information they need to make informed choices about their lives.
 
Television broadcasters have been working very productively with officials from my department to quantify those infrastructure deficiencies and gaps, and I thank them and encourage them to continue to do so
 
The information stemming from the audit will be a key input to future consideration of the need for capital renewal and maintenance to support the provision of television services in remote and regional areas.  
 
While the initiatives and processes I have just described will support the sustainability of commercial television services, there is a broader conversation to be had around longer-term reforms.

The acceleration of declining revenues, and the pressure the sector is facing, makes considerations around the future of television broadcasting pressing.
 
But this work can’t be done in isolation.
 
Industry and Government need a shared understanding of what the future of television is to help align our goals and the coordination of public policy.
 
To that end - the Albanese Government will work closely with industry on a plan to secure the future of free-to-air television, to position it to continue to inform, educate and entertain Australians.
 
Our Government is seeking to explore the possibility of realising a digital dividend: options for the more efficient use of spectrum and infrastructure for television, which enables potential reallocation of spectrum to other uses.
 
The first step will be the development of a discussion paper to support engagement with interested parties on this important initiative, to be released for consultation in early 2025.
 
Spectrum requirements for television will depend on an assessment of the optimal mix of delivery mechanisms in 5, 10, and 20 years. They need to consider the role and capabilities of broadband infrastructure. And they need to be grounded by a view of what television should look like in the medium-term.
 
The Government will engage right across the ecosystem: with broadcasters, infrastructure providers, mobile network operators, and consumers to ensure a shared understanding of what television in Australia should look like in a decade, and what is needed to get there.
 
We want commercial television broadcasters to be able to continue to deliver content that is highly valued by Australian’s. But there is work to be done to get us on the right path and to avoid a costly and disruptive contraction of the sector.  
 
But let me be very clear here, about what I am announcing, and what I am not announcing.
 
I am announcing that the Government will explore pathways for the future of television, shaped by the possibility of realising a digital dividend.
 
In doing so, I am putting, front and centre, the important question of what the future of television may be – because the television broadcasting is an essential platform in Australia, and we need a mature and measured discussion to plan its future.
 
I am not announcing that the Government has identified, or decided to yield, a digital dividend. We have not.
 
And I am not announcing any details on the issues or options or pathways today.
 
I am announcing that Government will commence the process of exploring these pathways, in consultation with industry, and that this will commence in earnest, with a discussion paper, early next year.
 
The process will consider the role and capabilities of broadband infrastructure, acknowledging the significant and growing reliance on telecommunications networks for television and video streaming. And it will consider the role of spectrum pricing as the Government assesses the future spectrum needs of broadcasting.
 
Taking a long-term view of the future of television broadcasting will provide greater certainty for consumers and industry, ensuring Australians have continued access to valued free-to-air content – with the diversity, choice and social cohesion benefits that it brings.
 
As I mentioned, the future of television must also consider the role of broadband.
 
There is already a significant reliance on telecommunications networks for television and video streaming, and this is only going to grow.
 
All possible television futures will require careful consideration of technological innovation and investment choices to manage the load on networks from television viewing.
 
Broadband rollout and availability is only part of the picture.
 
We know that availability doesn’t equate to take-up, and that there will remain a cohort of Australians unable to utilise online infrastructure due to a lack of financial means, skills, or interest.
 
This is also part of the reason why free-to-air broadcasting remains such a critical delivery platform, with significant impacts for social inclusion and community cohesion. 
 
For this reason and many others, the Albanese Government is improving connectivity for all Australians.
 
Our significant investment in the National Broadband Network, for example, is delivering high-speed broadband services to households and businesses across the country, with a significant focus on regional and rural communities.
 
We are positioning Australia as a test-bed for new and emerging tech, such as using Low Earth Orbit Satellites to support voice services. Trials in this space are underway.
 
Our Universal Service Reform will deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose universal service framework with sustainable, long-term funding of services in rural and remote areas.
 
In closing, Labor is a reformist Government; we are not afraid to make big reforms in the long-term public interest, even if they are difficult ones.  
 
Our future connectedness and prosperity as a country will hinge on how we collectively manage the communications and media transition going forward.
 
We must work together to ensure that the services people rely on remain relevant, efficient and accessible for consumers.
 
Everyone in this room has a key role to play in determining this future success.

Our Government will support you to play that role.
 
As we work towards our vision for Australia to be the most connected continent.
 
Thank you.