Stephen Conroy (Victoria, Australian Labor Party, Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate) Share this | Hansard source

Firstly, it would not be possible, in my view, for there to be an outcome where one company could end up with all the spectrum. I make that very clear. That would be a very adverse outcome for the Australian public. In terms of where ACMA are up to in the process, there is a complex trade-off that they are considering, between the auction method—and there are three or four; if you are interested, I am happy to facilitate a briefing with ACMA—and what size of blocks, if I can use that phrase, industry want. We are talking about, say, 120, so 340 sounds fairly straightforward. But what the industry sector has said to us over the last 12 months is that, despite that being the thinking behind the process, say, 12 months or two years ago, different technologies are now being used. Industry’s preference would be for the blocks to be sold off in smaller bits. So there is a trade-off between what technology industry want to use—upload and download is the wrong way to describe it, and I am not an engineer—and the auction process. It is very complex and fascinating, and I will happily organise that briefing if ACMA are in a position to do so.

Secondly, in terms of the public process, if I can I will get back to you before the end of the debate to let you know. If I cannot, I will talk to you later about what the public process part of the overall process is. But the discussion about this matter with ACMA has been fascinating, and I am sure you will enjoy it.