Communications Act 2003

Interpretation

1 (1) In any Act or instrument amended by this Schedule—

• “communications service” means any of the following services—

  (a)

  an electronic communications service;

  (b)

  the provision of directory information by means of an electronic communications network for the purpose of facilitating the use of an electronic communications service provided by means of that network;

  (c)

  the installation, maintenance, adjustment, repair, alteration, moving, removal or replacement of apparatus which is or is to be connected to an electronic communications network;

• “electronic communications apparatus” has the same meaning as in the electronic communications code;

• “the electronic communications code” has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 2 of this Act;

• “electronic communications code network” means—

  (a)

  so much of an electronic communications network or conduit system provided by an electronic communications code operator as is not excluded from the application of the electronic communications code by a direction under section 106; and

  (b)

  an electronic communications network which the Secretary of State or a Northern Ireland department is providing or proposing to provide;

• “electronic communications code operator” means a person in whose case the electronic communications code is applied by a direction under section 106;

• “electronic communications network” and “electronic communications service” each has the same meaning as in this Act;

• “former PTO” means a person—

  (a)

  who is a provider of a public electronic communications network or a public electronic communications service which, immediately before the date on which the repeal by this Act of section 7 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12) comes into force, was designated as a public telecommunication system under section 9 of that Act; and

  (b)

  who, immediately before that date, was authorised to provide that network or service by a licence to which section 8 of that Act applied;

• “operator”, in relation to an electronic communications code network, means—

  (a)

  the electronic communications code operator providing that network; or

  (b)

  the Secretary of State or a Northern Ireland department, to the extent that they are providing or proposing to provide that network;

• “provide” and cognate expressions, in relation to an electronic communications network, an electronic communications service or associated facilities, are to be construed in accordance with section 32(4) of this Act;

• “public electronic communications network” and “public electronic communications service” each has the same meaning as in Chapter 1 of Part 2 of this Act.

(2) In this paragraph—

(a) “conduit system” has the same meaning as in the electronic communications code and references to providing a conduit system shall be construed in accordance with paragraph 1(3A) of that code;

(b) “electronic communications code”, “electronic communications code network”, “electronic communications code operator”, “public electronic communications network” and “public electronic communications service” each has the meaning given in sub-paragraph (1).