Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know
Answered by the engineers who built it
What noIM₃ is, who it is for, the tools and live data behind it, the ACMA services, training and subscription plans. The most common questions about the platform, answered.
The Platform
What noIM₃ is and who it is for.
What is noIM₃?
noIM₃ is an Australian engineering platform for designing, documenting and delivering communications systems, built around one mission: to help safeguard Australia's spectrum. It is growing into an ecosystem that connects everyone on a project around a single source of truth, so the work flows from engineering design through to the people who manage, build and rely on it. Today the engineering tools and workflows are live, and the project manager, technician and client interfaces are on the way.
How we safeguard the spectrum →What is the ecosystem, and how do the roles connect?
The ecosystem is the idea that one project should stay connected across everyone who touches it. Engineers design through workflows that produce client-ready deliverables, project managers track progress and assign work, technicians build from the live design on site, and clients follow the project from a high-level view. Each role gets its own way into the same project, so nothing is lost between design and delivery. The engineering side is live today, and the project manager, technician and client interfaces are in development.
Explore the ecosystem →Who is noIM₃ for?
It is built for the people who deliver communications projects: RF engineers, electrical engineers, communications and systems designers, and the project managers, technicians and clients they work with. The engineering tools are used today by anyone planning, coordinating or documenting radio, microwave, HF, leaky feeder and communications power systems, from individual consultants through to in-house engineering teams.
What problem does noIM₃ solve?
Communications engineering has traditionally been spread across generic calculators, manual register lookups, spreadsheets and disconnected documents, a fragmented process that is slow, error-prone and hard to audit. noIM₃ brings the whole technical workflow into one platform, with the calculations, the live regulatory data and the report generation in the same place, so the path from engineering analysis to a client-ready deliverable is direct and traceable.
Is noIM₃ specific to Australia?
The regulatory side is built for Australia and references ACMA data directly, including the spectrum register, band plans and the licensing framework. The engineering calculation tools implement international ITU-R, IEEE and IEC standards and apply anywhere. The platform is designed primarily for Australian engineers, with the underlying engineering tools internationally applicable.
Do I need to install any software?
No. Every tool runs in the browser with no downloads, plugins or licence keys. The ACMA Spectrum Map is open without an account, and the other tools require a Standard or Pro subscription.
Tools & Deliverables
The tools, the data and what you get out.
What tools are on the platform?
The platform spans the communications engineering disciplines: RF utilities such as path loss, EIRP, link budgets and intermodulation; the HF Frequency Planner; the Microwave Link Planner; the Coverage Planner for land mobile radio; the Leaky Feeder Designer and 3D coverage tools; frequency coordination, plan validation and optimisation; the RF EME Exposure Modeller; fibre optic and PON design; and electrical tools including voltage drop, cable sizing and communications rack heat-load design. New tools are added regularly.
Browse all the tools →What do I actually get out of it?
Deliverables, not just numbers. The workflows turn your inputs into client-ready outputs: documented calculations, formal reports, exportable PDFs and KML, and the technical parameters needed for licence applications and project handover. The engineering work flows into the deliverable rather than being stranded in a calculator and rebuilt by hand.
Are the tools based on recognised standards?
Yes. Each tool implements and references published standards, including ITU-R recommendations for propagation, IEEE and IEC engineering standards, and Australian Standards such as AS/NZS 3008 and AS/CA S009. The applicable standard is recorded in the tool output, so every result carries its own audit trail.
Does noIM₃ use live government data?
Yes. The ACMA Spectrum Tool connects directly to the ACMA spectrum register, mapping over 100,000 licensed transmitter sites across Australia, and the HF Frequency Planner draws live space weather data from the Bureau of Meteorology to reflect current ionospheric conditions. Your analysis runs against the current environment, not a static snapshot.
What is the digital twin?
It is where the platform is headed: simulating a design against the real world, with live traffic, weather and fading, so it can be proven before it is built. The digital twin is a forward-looking direction rather than a feature you can use today, building on the propagation and fading models already in the platform.
See where the digital twin is headed →ACMA & Compliance
Licensing, coordination and staying compliant.
How does live ACMA data work in the platform?
The ACMA spectrum register feeds the platform directly. The ACMA Spectrum Tool maps it, and the frequency coordination and plan validation tools query it as you work, so a coordination check or a compliance assessment runs against the licences that exist right now, not a register you downloaded weeks ago. The register is refreshed on a regular cycle, so as licences around your sites are granted or varied, the platform reflects them on the next assessment. That is what lets your design be measured against the live spectrum environment.
What can I do with the ACMA Spectrum Tool?
The ACMA Spectrum Tool is the live map view of the register. You can search and inspect over 100,000 licensed transmitter sites, see their licence details and technical parameters, and identify the incumbents around a proposed site before you commit to a frequency. With an account you can also claim the licences relevant to you and track them as a portfolio. It is open to use without an account, and it runs on the same live data the coordination and validation tools use.
Can noIM₃ prepare and submit an ACMA apparatus licence application for me?
Yes. Alongside the self-service tools, noIM₃ offers ACMA Services that take a licence application end to end: site and antenna documentation, frequency selection and band-plan verification, EIRP and emission designator determination, frequency coordination against the spectrum register, the formal coordination report, and lodgement through the appropriate ACMA channels. Contact us to discuss your requirements and scope.
Talk to us about ACMA Services →What is frequency coordination, and does noIM₃ handle it?
Frequency coordination is the technical assessment required for most apparatus licence applications in coordinated bands, checking a proposed transmitter for interference against existing licensees using ITU-R propagation models and the applicable RALI criteria. The platform's Frequency Coordination Tool runs this against the live spectrum register and generates the report, and the ACMA Services team can carry out the full coordination and submission for you.
Does noIM₃ do site compliance audits?
Yes. A site compliance audit checks every transmitter at a location against its current ACMA licence conditions, covering frequency, bandwidth, power, EIRP, antenna height and emission designator, and produces a report of any variances with a remediation plan. noIM₃ offers audits as a service, and the platform tools let you run the same checks yourself on an ongoing basis.
How does noIM₃ help with ongoing compliance, not just initial licensing?
Most compliance issues appear after a system changes, when an equipment swap or antenna change quietly alters a previously compliant parameter. The platform lets you recalculate EIRP whenever something changes, monitor neighbouring licence activity in your bands on the ACMA Spectrum Map, and reassess coordination against updated register data, so compliance stays a continuous practice rather than a one-off event.
What is an apparatus licence, and when do I need one?
An apparatus licence is a site-specific, frequency-specific licence from ACMA authorising a particular transmitter, required for operations not covered by a class licence such as fixed microwave links and land mobile base stations. It sets binding conditions including frequency, bandwidth, power, EIRP, emission designator and antenna details. noIM₃ provides the tools to prepare a complete application, and the ACMA Services to coordinate and lodge it for you.
Training
Hands-on training for engineers.
Does noIM₃ offer training?
Yes. noIM₃ offers practical, standards-based training for communications and electrical engineers, built around real engineering problems and delivered using the same tools used on live projects. Courses cover areas such as ACMA licensing and frequency coordination, HF and microwave link planning, leaky feeder design, RF EME exposure and ARPANSA compliance, cabling standards and electrical wiring rules. Courses are in development, so register your interest on the Training page to hear when dates are confirmed.
See the course catalogue →How is training delivered, and who is it for?
Training is delivered online or on-site, for individuals or whole engineering teams, and is CPD-aligned. It suits practising engineers extending into a specialist area, graduates moving from theory into practice, and organisations standardising their teams' skills. It is delivered by practising engineers, including the people who build the platform tools, so the content reflects current engineering and regulatory practice.
Plans & Access
Subscriptions, trials and team access.
What does the Standard plan include?
Standard gives you the everyday engineering calculators across RF, electrical and communications work, including the full RF utilities set, the electrical and serial tools, the Erlang traffic calculators, and the ACMA Spectrum Map. It suits engineers who need fast, accurate answers and want to check compliance parameters on existing systems.
What does the Pro plan include?
Pro unlocks the advanced, compliance-grade tools: the HF Frequency Planner with the full ITU-R P.533 engine and live data, the Leaky Feeder Designer, the Frequency Coordination Tool with live register assessment and report generation, the plan validator and optimiser, the Microwave Link Planner, coverage analysis, the RF EME Exposure Modeller and the electrical design suite. It is the plan for preparing regulatory submissions and formal project deliverables.
Compare plans and pricing →Is there a free trial?
Yes. New accounts get a free trial with access to the Pro tools, with no credit card required to start. When the trial ends the account continues on Standard unless you upgrade, and the ACMA Spectrum Map is always free without an account.
Can I cancel my subscription at any time?
Yes. You can cancel from your Account page at any time and keep access to the end of the current billing period. There are no lock-in contracts or cancellation fees on Standard or Pro.
Are team and Enterprise plans available?
Elite and Enterprise plans with team access, shared workspaces and volume pricing are in development. Contact us to register your organisation's interest and we will advise on the best option in the meantime.
Still have questions?
Reach out directly or explore the platform and see the tools in action.