This Part establishes a universal service regime.

In general terms, the universal service regime involves:

               (a)     the universal service obligation and universal service subsidy; and

               (b)     the digital data service obligation and digital data cost; and

               (c)     arrangements for collecting and distributing universal service levy.

The main object of the universal service regime is to ensure that all people in Australia, wherever they reside or carry on business, should have reasonable access, on an equitable basis, to:

               (a)     standard telephone services; and

               (b)     payphones; and

               (c)     prescribed carriage services; and

               (d)     digital data services.

The key elements of the universal service regime are as follows:

               (a)     the specification of the universal service obligation and digital data service obligation;

               (b)     the determination of universal service areas and digital data service areas;

               (c)     the specification of arrangements for the fulfilment of the universal service obligation;

               (d)     the determination of primary universal service providers and digital data service providers;

               (e)     the determination of contestable service obligations for particular universal service areas;

               (f)     requirements for the approval of, and compliance with, policy statements and marketing plans of universal service providers;

               (g)     requirements for the approval of, and compliance with, digital data service plans of digital data service providers;

               (h)     the determination of the universal service subsidy payable for supplying services in fulfilment of the universal service obligation;

                (i)     the determination of the digital data cost for supplying services in fulfilment of the digital data service obligation;

                (j)     the regulation of universal service charges and digital data service charges;

               (k)     the assessment, collection, recovery and distribution of the levy imposed by the Telecommunications (Universal Service Levy) Act 1997 ;

                (l)     the disclosure of information on which certain decisions under this Part are based;

              (m)     the maintenance by the ACMA of Registers, and the delegation of the Minister's powers under this Part to the ACMA.