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Upheaval foreshadowed for spectrum management in Australia

Discussion in 'Amateur Radio News' started by G4TUT/SK2022, Nov 16, 2014.

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  1. G4TUT/SK2022

    G4TUT/SK2022 Ham Member QRZ Page

    Upheaval foreshadowed for spectrum management in Australia

    The Australian Government's spectrum review program, which began in May 2014, has reached another milestone, says the Wireless Institute of Australia (WIA).

    The Government published an "issues paper" last May, which set out the terms of reference of the spectrum review and sought public comment. The WIA made a submission, as did more than 30 other organisations and individuals.

    On 11 November 2014, Australia's Minister for Communications announced the release of a consultation paper seeking public comment.
    The consultation paper is called "Spectrum Review - Potential Reform Directions". It sets out 11 potential reform proposals and asks stakeholders to address four questions in relation to the proposed reforms.

    Of those potential reform proposals, four are of chief interest to the amateur radio community in Australia, notes the WIA.

    The first is:

    One licence for all - apparatus, class & spectrum licensing are proposed to go!
    There would be a single licensing framework, with licences being issued based on a set of parameters that cover frequency bands, power limits, licence terms and other useful specifications. This is otherwise known as "parameter-based licensing".

    The second is:

    Outsourcing. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) would have the ability to delegate spectrum management functions to other entities. Functions to be devolved could include licensing, fee collection, interference management and dispute resolution, among other things.

    The third is:

    Developing more principles-based regulation of the supply of electronic and radiocommunications devices. The idea here being to increase incentives for device suppliers and users to manage risk and resolve interference, as well as disputes, in the device supply market.

    The fourth proposal of interest to amateurs is:

    Extending enforcement measures available to the ACMA, enabling it to impose civil penalties, issue remedial directions and formal warnings to manage and control interference, along with related powers.
    These were key topics covered in the WIA's submission to the review, the Institute noted.
    The deadline for submissions to the consultation paper is 2 December.

    In the meantime, the WIA Board will be considering the Directions paper in depth and inviting member input.

    The review of the responses to the latest consultation paper is being undertaken by the Department of Communications and the ACMA. They will report to the Minister early next year.

    Roger Harrison VK2ZRH
    WIA News




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  2. K4YZ

    K4YZ Guest



    THERE it is! Granted, it may be AUSTRALIAN dollars, but dollars none-the-less! I ONLY WISH that the FCC would delegate some of these responsibilities! They can't seem to do anything without adding to the bureaucratic morass and only making things worse. And rthe lag time between starting an enforcement action and actually getting the creeps off the air! WHAT A WASTE OF TAXPAYERS DOLLARS!

    73

    Steve, K4YZ
     
  3. N4LNE/SK2022

    N4LNE/SK2022 Ham Member QRZ Page

    Yes that is just what we need the FCC outsourced to some company that knows nothing about our hobby or anything else about communications for that matter. I for one think the FCC does a great job and needs to remain as is.
     
  4. W3WN

    W3WN Ham Member QRZ Page

    I agree that the ability to delegate SOME functions to a 3rd party would be beneficial.

    Just be careful what you wish for. The FCC may be looking to dump a lot of the responsibilities related to the administration of the Amateur Service -- and other services as well -- regardless of whether or not it is to our benefit.

    That said, one thing comes to mind. I'd be more than willing to put Dean AE7Q in charge of the Amateur portion of the ULS, and related administration of Vanity calls... I think he has a better grasp of the database and how it works than anyone currently working in Gettysburg or Washington!!
     
  5. M0FEU

    M0FEU Ham Member QRZ Page

    Since OFCOM was so successfully privatised, it has had to delegate a hefty portion of its responsibilities back to the BBC. Poor OFCOM can barely tie their own shoelaces these days. Can't wait till air traffic control is privatised. Sometimes 'a little' inefficiency is better than having the tail wag the dog, or just fall off altogether, as in the case of OFCOM.
    73 m0feu/oe6feg
     
  6. KC0W

    KC0W Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    If the word "Upheaval" was not in this threads title I wouldn't have opened it.............Ah, the power of interesting words. :)



    Tom KCØW
     
  7. VA7VZ

    VA7VZ Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Privatizing government services rarely works in favor of the citizen, or the nation, and it often ends up costing the taxpayers more in the long run.
     
  8. W4RN

    W4RN Ham Member QRZ Page

    Steve,

    You're exactly right.

    Somewhere along the line, the gullible and uninformed public stopped expecting the government and its colossial and expensive agencies to do what they are supposed to do. We taxpayers continue to pay ever-increasing taxes and receive ever-decreasing attention and service from all phases of the government.

    If I were an Ozzie, I'd let off more than a little steam about the government trying to farm out the jobs and work it ought to be doing, given the taxes that are levied, ostensibly to pay for the very things they're trying to outsource.

    When will it stop? Probably never.

    My 2-cents worth. 73
     
  9. W9YW

    W9YW Moderator Emeritus QRZ Page

    Outsourcing means that someone else knows how to do it more inexpensively, and will add in profit. Nothing wrong with profit. In a civilized society, however, governing the airwaves shouldn't have a profit motive-- and the government ought to be able to do its job more efficiently and with good customer service and expectations.

    The bigger problem lies in the ability to use campaign contributions, off-books (yet deductible) funds for campaigning, and what amounts to bribery to eat spectrum and impose rules that damage the ability of hobbyists and amateurs to thrive. The competition and desirability for spectra is huge, and a private agency can be just as easily influenced by big revenue when the telecoms and other comm infrastructure vendors knock at the door. Best to assume proper responsibility rather than foist it on others for seeming cost-savings. There's no cost savings there, just a new opportunity for dysfunction.
     
  10. VA7VZ

    VA7VZ Premium Subscriber QRZ Page

    Very well said. Thank you.
     
  11. K5GHS

    K5GHS Ham Member QRZ Page

    I could see them outsourcing the mundane tasks. Processing the paperwork, etc.

    Enforcement would have to remain in the government realm anyway, honestly.

    Its already happening though with a lot of government functions going online. Some of the older generation is just going to have to accept that in the near future, a lot of stuff is going to be happening online. CA DMV has moved a lot to it with success, and allowing vehicle dealerships to do stuff online and send paperwork to a large processing center versus having to walk stuff into a local office periodically is another change they have done as well.

    That is probably the type of outsourcing you will see if they don't go completely online. All of their paper forms will go to some processing center that processes those and many others for many places. Anything out of the ordinary gets kicked up to where it needs to go, but you don't have to have dedicated people doing that anymore. As people retire, you just don't refill the positions. Same thing happened where my Dad worked, PG&E. They didn't lay anyone off, but as people retired, they reduced the workforce. Where my Dad worked, 3-4 man crews have now become 1-5 man crew this way.

    Its probably already happened a lot, you just haven't noticed it, because as an end user, it seems the same. You submit whatever form to whatever agency and you get the appropriate response.

    But just because the return address is FCC or whatever doesn't mean the FCC was the actual entity that sent it to you. It could be some vendor doing it on their behalf. You'd never know, honestly.
     
  12. VK5TM

    VK5TM Ham Member QRZ Page

    Everything that has already been "outsourced" in this country has one thing in common - it all became more expensive.

    Add also that customer service has become worse in a lot of cases (that is when you can find any service).

    Terry VK5TM
     
  13. W8VI

    W8VI Platinum Subscriber Platinum Subscriber QRZ Page

    I like big bloated inefficient Government agencies controlling just about everything. Just think of the great job they have done at the VA, Department of Defense with hired contractors to do the work and of course we cant forget what Home Land Insecurity has done to the once small and admirable Secret Service.

    Please no more creative thinking like outsourcing - it has to be all bad and scary to us multitudes with high paying Government jobs holding meetings all day to justify our jobs and like my co-workers not really getting anything done except trying to hire another assistant or better yet a contractor to do my job while I'm at perpetual meetings in Vegas and Orlando.

    I sure like things just the way they are and please do not change anything until I retire or get fired.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2014
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