Federal parliament has passed legislation to create a national Do Not Call Register and the government expects the community to sign up one million individual numbers to avoid unsolicited telemarketing calls within the first week of its operation.

The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, said the government was planning for the surge of applications once the register took effect in early 2007. Once a number -- either home or mobile -- is registered, it becomes illegal for telemarketers in Australia or overseas to contact it.

"Based on overseas experience, we expect there will be a high level of demand from individuals who wish to place their numbers on the register -- as many as one million numbers are expected to be registered in the first week alone," Senator Coonan said.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority will oversee the establishment and operation of the register, and is likely to issue a tender shortly, according to a statement. There will be no cost for an individual to place their number on the register.