Installation of communication equipment for base stations in Australia

Who approves a mobile phone base station?

There are rules and standards telcos must follow to install mobile phone base stations. The decision on who approves a base station depends on several planning factors, including: the classification/zoning of the land.

Where can I find information about mobile phone base stations?

Information about proposed and current mobile phone base stations is available on the Radio Frequency National Site Archive (RFNSA) at You can subscribe to receive information about future installations of Small cells are installed by Telcos to provide improved coverage and capacity in local areas for both 4G and 5G services.

Who approves a base station?

The decision on who approves a base station depends on several planning factors, including: the classification/zoning of the land. To find out if a base station requires approval under local government, state or territory planning law, please contact your local council.

Can a telco install a mobile phone base station?

All mobile phone base stations must stay within the safe limits of electromagnetic energy (EME). Telcos can only install a mobile phone base station if they can show it will stay in the safe limits. A telco can install a temporary base station to either: minimise service disruption during the maintenance or replacement of an existing facility.