For the first time, there is now more than one mobile service for every Australian, with 21.26 million mobile phone services in operation at 30 June 2007, a 7.6 per cent increase from 19.76 million the year before, according to the Australian Communications and Media Authority Communications Report 2006-07, released today.

A significant increase in 3G mobile customer numbers helped drive that growth, which was in contrast to a small but continued decline in fixed-phone services over the last financial year.

‘There are now more than 4.5 million 3G mobile services in Australia, a 192 per cent increase between 30 June 2006 and 30 June 2007,’ said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman.

Tabled in parliament today by the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, the report provides a comprehensive overview of changes in the communications industry.

The number of fixed services dropped from 11.26 million to 10.92 million between 30 June 2006 and 30 June 2007. The number of payphones in operation in Australia (both Telstra operated and privately operated) dropped by 8,368, to 49,862.

In 2005-06 almost a million new geographic numbers were allocated by ACMA. In 2006-07, geographic numbers were predominantly allocated for VoIP services – 2.89 million out of a total 3.23 million. This increase is a sign of competition and the entry of new VoIP providers into the Australian market requiring a supply of numbers for services across the country.

Internet subscribers were another area of communications services growth. There were 6.43 million internet subscribers in Australia, made up of 2.09 million narrowband and 4.33 million broadband subscribers (to the end of March 2007). Domain name registrations also grew: 795,368 .com.au registrations in the year compared with 612,918 the previous year.

In the broadcasting sector, Australian television networks met the minimum requirements of at least 55 per cent of all Australian programming between 6am and midnight, met annual quotas for children’s programming (as outlined in the Children’s Television Standards (CTS)), and requirements for first release Australian drama programs (as outlined in the Australian Content Standard).

The report also includes the results of an analysis of the consumer benefits and economic impact resulting from reforms in the telecommunications sector in 1997. The analysis concluded that total production in the Australian economy in
2006-07 grew by an additional $1.2 billion due to price and service competition in the telecommunications sector.

 

Table 1: Key communications indicators
Measure 30-Jun-06 30-Jun-07
Internet subscribers (end March 2007) 5.95m 6.43m
Narrowband (dial-up) subscribers (end March 2007 2.78m 2.09m
Broadband subscribers (end March 2007) 3.16m 4.33m
Pre-paid mobile services (does not include Telstra, Vodafone, or ‘3’ wholesale services) 9.7m 10.15m
Post-paid mobile services (does not include Telstra, Vodafone or ‘3’ wholesale services) 9.6m 10.65m
Total mobile services 19.76m 21.26m
GSM coverage as a proportion of the Australian population 96 per cent 96 per cent
CDMA coverage as a proportion of the Australian population 98 per cent 98 per cent
3G (W-CDMA) coverage as a proportion of the Australian population 53 per cent 98.8 per cent
Total fixed lines 11.26m 10.92m
Fixed lines covered by the Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) 8.71m 7.91m
New geographic numbers allocated by ACMA 0.99m 3.24m
Payphones – services in operation 58,230 49,862
Licensed telecommunications carriers 158 169
Licensed or registered cablers 56,958 58,398
Calls to emergency services using 000 and 112 11,588,777 12,139,526
Complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman 127,479 156,802
Number of carriage service providers registered with the TIO 1,170 1,231
Cost to industry of providing interception $5.7m $8.2m
Commercial television networks revenue $4119m (2004-05) $3990m (2005-06)
Commercial radio networks revenue $945m (2004-05) $998m (2005-06)
Australia’s position as a ’spam relaying’ country 10th (February 2004) 28th (30 June 2007)
Prohibited internet content items actioned within Australia 18 5
Prohibited internet content items actioned outside Australia 706 494
Number of registered .com.au domain names 612,918 795,368