✦ Plain-English Summary

Telecommunications (Regional Broadband Scheme) Charge Bill 2019

What it does

This bill creates a new charge on telecommunications companies to fund broadband internet in regional Australia — specifically for fixed wireless and satellite services where the NBN isn't available or practical. The charge gets added to eligible premises' bills and collected to pay for this infrastructure.

Why it matters

If you're in a regional area relying on wireless or satellite internet, this bill is meant to ensure those services get proper funding rather than being left behind. For everyone else, this essentially spreads the cost of regional broadband across the wider telecom system instead of leaving it to individual users or government budgets alone.

Key details

• Who pays: Telecommunications companies pass the charge to customers on "chargeable premises" — mainly properties using fixed wireless or satellite broadband services
• How it's calculated: Two components make up the charge — a base amount (set with advice from the ACCC) plus administrative costs, with annual indexation built in
• When it started: The charging framework came into effect when related legislation (Schedule 4 of the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment Act 2019) commenced, not when this bill received Royal Assent

Official Description

Introduced with the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Competition and Consumer) Bill 2019, the bill establishes an ongoing funding arrangement for fixed wireless and satellite infrastructure (the Regional Broadband Scheme) by imposing a monthly charge on carriers, including NBN Co Ltd, in relation to each premises connected to their network that has an active fixed-line superfast broadband service during the month.

Committee Referrals

Senate Environment and Communications Legislation Committee; Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

No votes yet.

No votes were recorded for this bill.