Private Licensed

These spectrum bands have been reserved by ACMA for private use and are generally licensed to a corporation for a number of years through market based price allocation (usually at auction).

Examples of privately licensed spectrum include Tier 1 operators Telstra, Optus, Vodafone and Hutchinson, who provide mobile phone and data services and have a license or a right to use the mobile spectrum, usually for a period of 15 years. Unwired has a license to use 2.3 GHz and 3.5 GHz spectrum in the major metropolitan areas.

The owner of private licensed spectrum is in total control over how its spectrum is allocated and used. If another person or corporation uses this spectrum without the licensees’ explicit permission then the unauthorised user can be fined for breaching the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

The end result is the owner of private licensed spectrum has absolute control over which frequencies are used in which areas and hence can guarantee the performance and reliability of installed links.

The use of private licensed spectrum provides a quality of service that cannot be provided using public licensed spectrum.