Australia’s universal service reform legislation passed

Australia’s Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has announced the passing of the last major piece of legislation underpinning the National Broadband Network (NBN) and the recent structural reforms to the country’s telecommunications sector. With the universal service reform legislation package having finally been passed, Mr Conroy noted: ‘This legislation safeguards key telecommunications services for all Australians, particularly those in rural, regional and remote Australia, during and after the transition to the NBN.’ The relevant bills – the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency Bill 2011; the Telecommunications Legislation Amendment (Universal Service Reform) Bill 2011; and the Telecommunications (Industry Levy) Bill 2011 – were introduced to parliament in November 2011. One of the key aspects of the new legislation is the establishment of a new agency, the Telecommunications Universal Service Management Agency (TUSMA).

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OVETEL Australia’s universal service reform legislation passed