Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1934 No. 30, issued under the authority of the Governor-General in Council, pertain to the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923. These regulations were introduced to address the need for amendments to the existing telephone regulations, particularly in response to the evolving nature of telephone services, which had expanded beyond mere business use to include more social and domestic applications. The objective of these amendments is to align the pricing and service structures with the changing usage patterns, particularly by providing more affordable options for residential telephone services within state capital city networks. The regulations, enacted by the Commonwealth of Australia, aim to reduce the financial burden on users of residential telephone services by adjusting the annual rental and call charges. This adjustment is intended to reflect the social and domestic nature of the usage, ensuring that the pricing remains reasonable and accessible for the broader public. The amendments also introduce flexibility in payment schedules, allowing for more options in how rental payments can be made, which aims to improve convenience for the customers.

Scope and Application

The regulations outlined in Statutory Rules 1934 No. 30 are made under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923 and specifically amend the Telephone Regulations (Statutory Rules 1927 No. 145 as amended). These regulations apply to telephone services in Australia, particularly focusing on residential services provided within state capital city networks. The changes primarily affect the pricing structure for residence services, which are defined as exchange services primarily used for social and domestic purposes. For these services, the annual rental is reduced by one pound, and the unit fee for calls is adjusted for the first 240 calls in a quarterly period or 480 calls in a half-yearly period, with a reduced fee of 1½d per call. Additionally, rental payment options are expanded to include quarterly payments. These amendments aim to refine the cost structure for residential telephone services, effective from specific dates in late 1933 and early 1934.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1923 (C1934L00030) primarily involve amendments to the Telephone Regulations, as detailed in Statutory Rules 1927 No. 145. Regulation 4 introduces a new definition for "Residence service," which is an exchange service used primarily for social and domestic purposes. Regulation 29 adjusts the annual rental for exclusive services within State Capital City networks classified as residence services by reducing it by one pound (section 2). Regulation 37 modifies the unit fee for the first 240 calls in a quarterly period or 480 calls in a half-yearly period to 1½d. per call for residence services (section 3). Regulation 39 and 40 allow for rental payments to be made yearly, half-yearly, or quarterly, at the discretion of the Department (sections 4 and 5). Regulation 6 alters the rental charge for temporary services, setting it at 50 per cent greater than the charge for a permanent exchange service, with a minimum charge of 5s. Additionally, for residence services, the unit fee for the first 80 calls in the four weeks following installation is set at 1½d. per call (section 6). Lastly, Regulation 162 revises the charges for the labour and perishable materials required for providing and dismantling the circuit, along with the rental charge for temporary services (section 7). These Regulations impose specific obligations and requirements on the parties they govern. Firstly, service providers must correctly classify services as "residence services" based on the new definition and apply the adjusted annual rental and unit fees as specified. For temporary services, they must charge 50 per cent more than the prescribed charge for a permanent exchange service, with a minimum charge of 5s. Furthermore, service providers must be flexible in accepting rental payments in various intervals—yearly, half-yearly, or quarterly—as determined by the Department. These obligations ensure that consumers are accurately billed according to the type of service they are using and that the Department has flexibility in managing payment schedules. Breaches of these Regulations may lead to various civil or criminal consequences. While the specific offences, penalties, or consequences are not detailed in the provided text, it is reasonable to infer that non-compliance with the prescribed charges and payment schedules could result in penalties. Typically, under Australian regulatory frameworks, such breaches might incur fines or other administrative sanctions. However, without explicit details on penalties within the text, it is essential to refer to the broader legislative context or relevant authorities for precise information on enforcement measures.