Australian telcos Telstra and Optus are opposed to a proposal by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to allow miners to use low-band radio spectrum for underground communications.
The telcos are concerned that relaxing the “low interference potential device (LIPD) class license” definitions could result in interference to mobile networks operating in the same bands.
Telstra said that a class-licensed arrangement could cause harmful interference to cellular network coverage, while Optus warned that interference could compromise the operation of emergency call services.
The ACMA’s LIPD proposals focus on enabling Wi-Fi deployments on more frequency bands, new satellite use cases, and underground communications.
However, Pivotel and Mobile Satellite Services Australia have called for a more granular approach, fearing interference to their existing satellite services. Additionally, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has voiced concerns for space transmission in frequency bands that overlap with its Murchison Widefield Array, which is explicitly protected from terrestrial class-licensed devices.