Australia - Telecommunications Act 1997

Synopsis

The most important piece of legislation for the telecommunications industry is the Commonwealth’s Telecommunications Act. Not only did it lay down the legal framework for the industry and the supply level, the legislated interaction with the Radiocommunications Act and the Trade Practices Act established the key rights and responsibilities on the demand and supply participants. This report highlights the key changes made by the 1996 Act and the policies behind the key elements of the legislation. In addition, the Act is analysed two years after its introduction.