1 Name

This is the Radiocommunications (Cordless Communications Devices) Class Licence 2024.

This instrument commences on 1 July 2024.

Note: The Federal Register of Legislation is available, free of charge, at www.legislation.gov.au.

3 Authority

This instrument is made under section 132 of the Radiocommunications Act 1992.

4 Repeal

The Radiocommunications (Cordless Communications Devices) Class Licence 2014 [F2014L01800] is repealed.

5 Interpretation

(1) In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears:

ARPANSA standard means:

(a) the Radiation Protection Standard for Limiting Exposure to Radiofrequency Fields – 100 kHz to 300 GHz (2021), published by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency; or

(b) if a later standard is published by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency as a replacement of that standard – the later standard.

Note: The ARPANSA standard is available, free of charge, from the website of the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency at www.arpansa.gov.au.

cordless communications device means any of the following:

(a) a land station or handset that operates on a frequency in one of the following frequency bands:

(i) 1.7175 MHz to 1.7925 MHz;

(ii) 30.0625 MHz to 30.3125 MHz;

(iii) 39.7625 MHz to 40.25 MHz;

(b) a radiocommunications device that both:

(i) uses Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications technology; and

(ii) operates in a frequency between 1880 MHz and 1900 MHz.

ETSI EN 301 406 means the most recently published version of ETSI EN 301 406 ‘Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT); Harmonised Standard for access to radio spectrum’, published by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute.

Note 1: ETSI EN 301 406 is available, free of charge, from the website of the European Telecommunications Standards Institute at www.etsi.org.

Note 2: At the time this instrument was made, the most recently published version of ETSI EN 301 406 consisted of two parts (Part 1 and Part 2).

group of cordless communications devices means 2 or more cordless communications devices transmitting simultaneously on the same frequency.

handset means a handset that is part of a cordless telephone service.

immediate circle has the same meaning as in the Telecommunications Act 1997.

Note 1: A number of other expressions used in this instrument are defined in the Act, including the following:

(a) frequency band;

(b) operate;

Note 2: Other expressions used in this instrument may be defined in a determination made under subsection 64(1) of the Australian Communications and Media Authority Act 2005, that applies to this instrument, including:

(a) Act;

(b) carriage service;

(d) cordless telephone service;

(e) EIRP;

(f) land station.

(2) In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears, a reference to a part of the spectrum or frequency band includes all frequencies that are greater than but not including the lower frequency, up to and including the higher frequency.

(3) Unless the contrary intention appears, no condition in Part 3 limits any other condition in Part 3.

6 References to other instruments

In this instrument, unless the contrary intention appears:

(a) a reference to any other legislative instrument is a reference to that other legislative instrument as in force from time to time; and

(b) a reference to any other kind of instrument or writing is a reference to that other instrument or writing as in force, or existing, from time to time.

Note 1: For references to Commonwealth Acts, see section 10 of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901; and see also subsection 13(1) of the Legislation Act 2003 for the application of the Acts Interpretation Act 1901 to legislative instruments.

Note 2: All Commonwealth Acts and legislative instruments are registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Note 3: See section 314A of the Act.

Part 2 Class licence

7 Class licence

This instrument authorises a person to operate a cordless communications device, subject to the conditions in Part 3.

Part 3 Conditions

8 Operation – private use only

A carriage service provider must not operate a cordless communications device to provide a carriage service to a person outside the provider’s immediate circle.

Note: Operation of a cordless communications device otherwise than in accordance with the conditions in this section is not authorised by this instrument, but may be authorised by another licence issued under the Act.

Example: A cordless communications device is used to provide a carriage service to another person if:

(a) the device is used for the provision of commercial cordless telecommunications services to the public; or

(b) the device is used for the provision of a connection under a wireless local loop arrangement.

9 Operation – power level

A person must not operate a cordless communications device that is mentioned in column 1 of the following table at a level of EIRP that exceeds the maximum EIRP mentioned in column 2.

	Column 1	Column 2
	Cordless communications device	Maximum EIRP
1	A device that operates in the one of the following frequency bands: (a) 1.7175 MHz to 1.7925 MHz; (b) 30.0625 MHz to 30.3125 MHz; (c) 39.7625 MHz to 40.25 MHz	1.23 dBm
2	A device that: (a) operates in the 1880 MHz to 1900 MHz frequency band; and (b) is a device covered by the scope of Part 1 of ETSI EN 301 406	36 dBm
3	A device that: (a) operates in the 1880 MHz to 1900 MHz frequency band; and (b) is a device covered by the scope of Part 2 of ETSI EN 301 406	30 dBm

10 Operation – compliance with ARPANSA standard

A person must not operate a cordless communications device, or a group of cordless communications devices, if the electromagnetic energy emitted by the device, or by the group, exceeds the general public exposure limits specified in the ARPANSA standard in a place accessible by the public.