Australian Communications and Media Authority

What Australian Communications and Media Authority does

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is the Australian Government's independent statutory regulator for telecommunications, broadcasting, radiocommunications, and online gambling, formed in 2005 through the merger of the Australian Communications Authority and the Australian Broadcasting Authority. It operates as a Commonwealth statutory agency under the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Communications and the Arts, headquartered in Pyrmont with between 501 and 1,000 staff. ACMA's remit spans spectrum allocation, carrier and carriage-service licensing, broadcasting content standards, anti-scam and spam enforcement, emergency call service reliability, and regulation of the Interactive Gambling Act, with statutory powers to investigate, fine, issue enforceable undertakings, and direct ISPs to block illegal websites.

ACMA's product portfolio consists of public registries and regulatory services rather than commercial offerings. Core systems include the Do Not Call Register (telemarketing opt-out), the SMS Sender ID Register (launched July 1, 2026, labelling unregistered branded sender IDs as 'Unverified'), the BetStop National Self-Exclusion Register (single-step self-exclusion from licensed wagering), the Register of Radiocommunications Licences (RRL), the Statutory Infrastructure Provider (SIP) Register, Smartnumbers (premium phone number allocations), consumer advice and complaint-handling services, broadcasting-standards enforcement, and online gambling compliance investigations. Recent enforcement actions include Federal Court proceedings against Optus Mobile over the September 2025 Triple Zero outage, a AU$35 million penalty against HSBC for SMS impersonation failures, and ongoing investigations into Telstra following a nationwide outage in July 2026.

ACMA is funded through Australian Government appropriations and statutory regulatory fees; it does not generate commercial revenue. Its regulated customer base spans every licensed Australian carrier (Telstra, Optus, TPG/Vodafone, plus inbound licensees such as Sky Perfect Jsat), all commercial and public broadcasters, all licensed interactive wagering operators, and end consumers. Distribution is direct via the ACMA website and digital platforms, with formal public consultations and media releases as the primary stakeholder engagement channels. The organisation operates exclusively within Australia and is not a publicly traded entity.

Name

Australian Communications and Media Authority

Legal name

Australian Communications and Media Authority

Website

https://acma.gov.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is Australia's statutory regulator for telecommunications, broadcasting, radiocommunications, and online gambling, enforcing compliance through licensing, public registers, enforcement actions, and consumer protection services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Communications and Media Regulation

NAICS

Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (92613), Regulation and Administration of Communications, Electric, Gas, and Other Utilities (926130), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (926150)

akta.pro primary industry

Communications, Media & Spectrum Regulators (BPAIAOAI)

Keywords

• Communications regulation
• Media regulation
• Spectrum management
• Consumer protection
• Online gambling enforcement

Headquarters

HQ city

Pyrmont

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is Australia's statutory regulator for telecommunications, broadcasting, radiocommunications, and online gambling. It administers licensing regimes, enforces compliance, manages spectrum allocation, protects consumers through registers such as the Do Not Call Register and BetStop, and conducts investigations with powers to issue penalties and block illegal services. ACMA also operates public registers and provides consumer advice services to Australian residents and businesses.

Product overview

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) is a government regulatory body, not a commercial product company. ACMA regulates communications and media sectors in Australia, overseeing telecommunications services, broadcasting, radio spectrum management, online gambling, and consumer protections. Its portfolio consists of regulatory services and public registers rather than commercial products. Key services include the Do Not Call Register for reducing telemarketing, the SMS Sender ID Register for scam prevention, the BetStop National Self-Exclusion Register for gambling harm prevention, Smartnumbers for premium phone numbers, and the Register of Radiocomms Licences for spectrum transparency. ACMA also provides consumer advice services and enforces broadcasting and gambling regulations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Do Not Call Register A free register that allows Australians to reduce unwanted telemarketing calls by registering their phone numbers.
• SMS Sender ID Register An anti-scam measure that labels messages using unregistered branded sender IDs as 'Unverified' to reduce SMS impersonation scams targeting banks, delivery services, government entities, and retailers.
• BetStop - National Self-Exclusion Register A register that allows individuals to self-exclude from all licensed interactive wagering services in Australia in a single step to protect against gambling harm.
• Smartnumbers A service allowing businesses to purchase custom or memorable phone numbers for easier customer recall.
• Register of Radiocommunications Licences (RRL) A searchable public register of all licensed Australian radio services and spectrum allocations.
• Consumer Advice Services Guidance and assistance for telco customers including help with billing disputes, service disconnection, financial hardship, and domestic violence protections.
• Online Gambling Services Regulation Enforcement of Interactive Gambling Act rules, investigation of illegal gambling operators, and ISP blocking of prohibited gambling websites.
• Broadcasting Standards Enforcement Regulation and compliance monitoring of TV and radio broadcasters including gambling advertising rules, decency standards, and program content requirements.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Digital Platform Regulators Forum (DP-REG)coreOthersDP-REG is a coordination forum among Australian regulatory bodies including ACMA, ACCC, OAIC, and eSafety Commissioner. The members signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen coordination in overseeing digital platforms. The agreement formalizes information sharing and coordinated regulatory responses on cross-cutting issues including scams, privacy, online safety, and competition concerns. Each regulator retains independent statutory functions while supporting a more structured approach to addressing intersecting challenges posed by large digital platform operators.

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Federal Communications Commission (FCC): The US FCC is the largest federal communications regulator covering telecom, broadcasting, spectrum, and consumer protection. It shares ACMA's mandate but operates at much larger scale and with broader federal jurisdiction.

Direct peers

• Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA): Singapore's IMDA regulates telecommunications, broadcasting, and media licensing with spectrum management and consumer-protection functions closely aligned to ACMA's integrated communications-and-media remit.
• National Media and Infocommunications Authority (NMHH): Hungary's NMHH regulates media, electronic communications, and postal services with content, spectrum, and consumer-protection functions paralleling ACMA's integrated communications-and-media authority.
• ARCEP: France's ARCEP regulates electronic communications and postal sectors, with spectrum assignment and operator compliance oversight comparable to ACMA's telecommunications and radiocommunications functions.
• Bundesnetzagentur (BNetzA): Germany's federal energy and telecommunications regulator oversees spectrum allocation, carrier licensing, and consumer protection in telecoms markets, mirroring ACMA's telecommunications and radiocommunications remit.
• Ofcom: Ofcom is the UK regulator for communications, broadcasting, and online harms, with near-identical statutory powers to ACMA over telecoms, spectrum, broadcasting content standards, and consumer protection - making it the closest functional peer.
• Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC): CRTC regulates Canadian broadcasting and telecommunications with licensing, enforcement, and consumer-protection functions analogous to ACMA's mandate over carriers, broadcasters, and spectrum.
• Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg): Ireland's ComReg regulates electronic communications, spectrum management, and consumer protection, with statutory enforcement powers analogous to ACMA's role over Irish telecommunications providers.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/acmadotgov
• Facebookfacebook.com/acmadotgov
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australian-communications-and-media-authority

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Australian Communications and Media Authority