As part of Azure Wireless‘ entry into the Hotspot business they are offering a free trial of their wireless network in Melbourne. See ZDNet’s article, Melbourne gets free Wi-Fi Internet trial.
When the service becomes payable they plan to charge AU$13.20 per hour. Little pricey for me at this stage, but it would be fun to see how much you could download using DC++ or Shareaza. 
Following a legislative change announced recently, The Australian Communications Authority has clarified the use of Wi-Fi for Consumers. Due to Government concerns over stifling innovation (same can’t be said for RIAA) and discrepancies in other telecom technology used non-commercially they have released these details to help understand when a license is and isn’t required.
“On 20 September 2002, the Minister announced a determination that exempts WLANs in single places from carrier licensing. The aim of this determination was to preserve technological neutrality and to encourage innovation. The determination removed an anomaly under which cable networks on single premises do not require a carrier licence, while wireless networks on single premises did.“
The important parts of the announcement, found in the FAQ are :
Is there a network unit involved?
The Telecommunications Act specifies four types of radiocommunications network units:
(i) a base station that supplies a public mobile telecommunications service;
(ii) a base station that is part of a terrestrial radiocommunications customer access network;
(iii) a fixed radiocommunications link; and
(iv) a satellite-based facility.
WLAN equipment is most likely to fall into Category (ii).
Is the network unit used ‘to supply a carriage service to the public?’
The second test is whether your WLAN equipment is supplying a carriage service to the public. Supply to the public occurs if the communication is:
* between two end-users, where each end-user is outside the immediate circle of the owner of the network unit; or
* point-to-multipoint, where at least one end-user is outside the immediate circle of the owner of the network unit.
The immediate circle of the owner of a network unit means:
* if the owner is an individual, an employee of the individual;
* if the owner is a partnership, an employee of the partnership;
* if the owner is a body corporate, an officer of the body corporate and, if another body corporate is related to it, the other body corporate and its officers; or
* if there is more than one owner of the network unit, the other owners of the network unit and the overlap of their immediate circles. Further information is available from carriers@aca.gov.au .
Is the network unit an exempt network?
A wireless network may be exempt from the carrier licence requirements if:
* it is used or for use for the sole purpose of supplying carriage services on a non-commercial basis; or
* the services are supplied in a single place.
There is also a two page PDF which summarises, called WLANs—Licensing requirements.
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