Telecommunications (Annual Charge) Determination 2025

The Australian Communications and Media Authority makes the following instrument under subsections 20(1) and 22(2) of the Telecommunications (Numbering Charges) Act 1997.

Dated: 21 March 2025

Adam Suckling

[signed]

Member

Michael Brealey

[signed

General Manager

1  Name

This is the Telecommunications (Annual Charge) Determination 2025.

2  Commencement

This instrument commences at the start of the day after the day it is registered on the Federal Register of Legislation.

Note: The Federal Register of Legislation may be accessed free of charge at www.legislation.gov.au.

3  Authority

This instrument is made under subsections 20(1) and 22(2) of the Telecommunications (Numbering Charges) Act 1997.

4  Repeal of the Telecommunications (Annual Charge) Determination 2014

The Telecommunications (Annual Charge) Determination 2014 [Registration No. F2014L01782] is repealed.

5  Definitions

In this instrument:

access code has the meaning given by section 28 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

Act means the Telecommunications (Numbering Charges) Act 1997.

census date, for a year, is the day in April determined for the year under subsection 18(2) of the Act.

community service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

geographic number has the meaning given by section 10 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

incoming only international service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

interconnect and routing service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

internal network service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

international direct dial service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

international ring back price service has the meaning given by section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

international service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

internet of things service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

plan means the Telecommunications Numbering Plan 2025.

public safety service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

replacement plan means a numbering plan made under subsection 455(1) of the Telecommunications Act 1997 after the commencement of this instrument, which replaces the plan.

specified for use has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

testing service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

virtual private network service has the meaning given in section 5 of the plan or, if the plan is replaced, in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan.

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

1.         ACMA
2.         carriage service provider

(c) number

(d) numbering plan.

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 is a reference to that other instrument as in force at the commencement of this instrument.

Note: 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.

7  Amount of charge

 (1) The amount of charge imposed on a number held at the beginning of the census date is calculated in accordance with the following formula:

where:

AOC means, for the chargeable holding that includes the number, the amount calculated under subsection (2).

N means the quantity of numbers comprising the chargeable holding.

 (2) For subsection (1), the value of AOC for a chargeable holding is determined as follows:

 AOC = quantity of numbers  x  lesser of BNC amount and $100 000

where:

BNC amount, for a chargeable holding, is the base number charge multiplied by:

 (a) the applicable multiplier; and

 (b) 10 to the power of (10 minus number length).

base number charge means the amount of charge determined by solving the following equation using the method known as the Newton‑Raphson method:

 Revenue Target = the sum of (quantity of numbers x the lesser of (BNC amount or $100 000)) for each chargeable holding of every carriage service provider.

Note: After the ACMA calculates the base number charge, it will publish it on its website. The ACMA’s website is www.acma.gov.au.

chargeable holding means one number or a group of numbers held by a carriage service provider, all of which:

 (a) have the same amount of digits; and

 (b) are of the same service type.

exempt service type, in relation to a number in a chargeable holding, means a number that, under section 8, is exempt from charge.

multiplier means:

 (a) for a chargeable holding containing only normal service type numbers — 1;

 (b) for a chargeable holding containing only reduced service type numbers — 0.01;

 (c) for a chargeable holding containing only exempt service type numbers — 0.

normal service type, in relation to a number in a chargeable holding, means a number that is not a reduced service type or an exempt service type.

number length means the amount of digits in the number concerned.

reduced service type, in relation to a number in a chargeable holding, means a number of any of the following kinds:

 (a) numbers specified for use with an incoming only international service;

 (b) numbers specified for use with an internal network service;

 (c) numbers specified for use with an internet of things service;

 (d)  numbers specified for use with a testing service.

Revenue Target, for a year, is $60 000 000.

service type means exempt service type, normal service type or reduced service type, as the context requires.

8  Numbers exempt from charge

(1) The following numbers are exempt from charge:

(a) a number specified for use with a community service;

(b) a geographic number, other than a number mentioned in subsection 22(1) of the Act;

(c) a number that is an international signalling point code, within the meaning of section 36 of the plan or in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan;

(d) a number that is a mobile network code, within the meaning of section 39 of the plan or in a corresponding provision of a replacement plan;

(e) a number that is an access code specified for use with an international service;

(f) a number that is an access code specified for use with an international direct dial service;

(g) a number that is an access code specified for use with an international ring back price service;

(h) a number that is an access code specified for use with an interconnect and routing service;

(i) a number that is an access code specified for use with a virtual private network service;

(j) a number that is a four or five digit access code specified for use with an incoming only international service; and

(k) a number specified for use with a public safety service.

(2) A number specified for use with an internet of things service is exempt from charge for a period of 12 months from the commencement of this instrument.

Example 

A carriage service provider has 2 chargeable holdings:

(a) holding Y, that, on the census date, contains 500 numbers, each of which is:

1.        5 digits in length; and
2.      an international signalling point code; and

(b) holding Z, that, on the census date, contains 10 000 numbers, each of which is:

1.        10 digits in length; and
2.      a normal service type number.

For the purpose of the example, the base number charge for the year is $0.90, determined on the basis of a Revenue Target of $60 000 000.

Calculation of AOC for holding Y:

AOC = quantity of numbers x the lesser of BNC amount and $100 000;

thus = 500 x the lesser of ($0.90 x 0 x 10^(10 – 5)) and $100 000;

thus = 500 x the lesser of ($0.90 x 0 x  100 000) and $100 000;

thus = 500 x the lesser of $0 and $100 000;

thus = 500 x 0;

thus = $0.

Calculation of AOC for holding Z:

AOC = quantity of numbers x the lesser of BNC amount and $100 000;

thus = 10 000 x the lesser of ($0.90 x 1 x 10^(10 – 10)) and $100 000;

thus = 10 000 x the lesser of ($0.90 x 1 x 1) and $100 000;

thus = 10 000 x the lesser of $0.90 and $100 000;

thus = 10 000 x $0.90;

thus = $9 000.

Calculation of total AOC for the year for the carriage service provider:

AOC = AOC for holding Y + AOC for holding Z;

thus = $0 + $9 000;

thus = $9 000.