Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1959L00083 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

STATUTORY RULES.

1959. No. 83.

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1950.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1950.

Dated this 29th day of September, 1959.

W. J. SLIM

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

Postmaster-General.

AMENDMENTS OF THE TELEPHONE REGULATIONS.†

Commencement.

1. These Regulations shall come into operation on the first day of October, 1959.

Annual rental.

2. Regulation 29 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the table in sub-regulation (1.) and inserting in its stead the following table:—

Subscribers connected to exchanges having access to the following number of subscribers’ lines at the unit fee.

 

Radius of network or unit fee area.

 

Annual rental.

For an exclusive service.

For each subscriber or instrument on a two-party service.

For each subscriber or instrument on a three or more party service.

Business.

Residence.

 

Miles.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

From 1 to 2,000.............

5

7

0

0

6

0

0

4

12

6

3

17

6

From 2,001 to 7,500..........

5

8

5

0

7

5

0

5

17

6

4

17

6

From 7,501 and upwards.......

5

9

5

0

8

5

0

6

17

6

5

17

6

From 10,001 and upwards......

10

16

10

0

13

5

0

11

5

0

10

5

0

From 10,001 and upwards......

15

17

5

0

14

0

0

12

0

0

11

0

0

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on 30th September, 1959.

† Statutory Rules 1927, No 145, as amended by Statutory Rules 1928, No. 99; 1929, Nos. 122 and 133; 1930, Nos. 2, 7, 15, 54 and 112; 1931, Nos. 86 and 137; 1932, No. 16; 1933, Nos. 13, 14, 56, 64, 84 and 135; 1934, Nos. 30 and 114; 1935, Nos. 25, 26, 93, 96 and 121; 1936, No. 121; 1937, Nos. 14, 36 and 86; 1938, No. 4; 1939, Nos. 34 and 130; 1940, Nos. 14, 28 and 230; 1941, Nos. 15, 126, 236 and 261; 1942, No. 504; 1943, No. 141; 1946, No. 118; 1948, No. 113; 1949, No. 39; 1950, No. 92; 1951, No. 74; 1954, No. 29; 1955, Nos. 27, 59 and 73; 1956, Nos. 68 and 76; 1957, Nos. 21 and 46; and 1958, No. 14.

7283/59.—PRICE 3D. 9/7.9.1959.


Facilities provided.

3. Regulation 30 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (1.) the words and figures “subject to the payment of the extra charge (if any) payable under regulation 31 of these Regulations,”.

Extra charges for service beyond two-mile radius.

4. Regulation 31 of the Telephone Regulations is repealed.

Services to distant exchanges.

5.—(1.) Regulation 32 of the Telephone Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the words and figures “regulations 29 and 31” and inserting in their stead the words and figures “regulation 29 of these Regulations”; and

(b) by omitting the table in paragraph (a) of sub-regulation (1.) and inserting in its stead the following table:—

Subscribers connected to exchanges having access to the following number of subscribers' lines at the unit fee.

Annual rental.

For each quarter mile, or part of a quarter mile, of route length of circuit.

 

£

s.

d.

From 1 to 2,000 ...........................

0

14

0

From 2,001 and upwards......................

1

0

0

 

 

 

 

(2.) Regulation 32 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from sub-regulation (2.) the words and figures “regulations 29 and 31” and inserting in their stead the words and figures “regulation 29 of these Regulations”.

Unit fee.

6. Regulation 37 of the Telephone Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting the word “Threepence” and inserting in its stead the word “Fourpence”; and

(b) by adding at the end thereof the following sub-regulation:—

“(2.) Where a subscriber leases a straight line telephone service fitted with a Departmental coin attachment and places that telephone at the service of the public, his employees, tenants or lodgers, the unit fee payable by the subscriber for each effective unit call originating from that telephone shall, if the Director-General so determines, be Threepence.”.

Restoration of service.

7. Regulation 43 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the figure and letter “5s.” and inserting in their stead the words “Six shillings”.

Diversion of calls.

8. Regulation 56 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the figure and letter “5s.” and inserting in their stead the words “Six shillings”.

Time signals.

9. Regulation 86 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the symbol and figure “£1” and inserting in their stead the words “One pound six shillings”.


Unit fee.

10. Regulation 119 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the word “Threepence” and inserting in its stead the word “Fourpence”.

Unit call.

11. Regulation 127 of the Telephone Regulations is amended—

(a) by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the word “Fourpence” and inserting in its stead the word “Fivepence”; and

(b) by omitting from sub-regulation (2.) the word and figures “regulation 37” and inserting in their stead the words and figures “sub-regulation (1.) of regulation 37 of these Regulations”.

Charges for trunk line calls.

12.—(1.) Regulation 138 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the table in sub-regulation (1.) and inserting in its stead the following table:—

Radial distance between exchanges or offices.

Each three minutes or part of three minutes.

Between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Between 6 p.m. and 9 a.m.

 

s.

d.

s.

d.

Exceeding 5 but not exceeding 10 miles...............

0

4

0

4

Exceeding 10 but not exceeding 15 miles...............

0

8

0

8

Exceeding 15 but not exceeding 20 miles...............

1

0

1

0

Exceeding 20 but not exceeding 25 miles...............

1

4

1

0

Exceeding 25 but not exceeding 30 miles...............

1

8

1

0

Exceeding 30 but not exceeding 50 miles...............

2

0

1

4

Exceeding 50 but not exceeding 100 miles..............

4

0

3

0

Exceeding 100 but not exceeding 200 miles.............

6

0

4

0

Exceeding 200 but not exceeding 300 miles.............

10

0

6

8

Exceeding 300 but not exceeding 400 miles.............

12

0

10

0

Exceeding 400 miles............................

15

0

12

0

(2.) Regulation 138 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from the third column of the table in sub-regulation (2.) the figure “3” (wherever occurring) and inserting in its stead the figure “4”.

Calls to particular person.

13. Regulation 141 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the table in sub-regulation (2.) and inserting in its stead the following table:—

Radial distance between exchanges or offices.

Charge.

 

s.

d.

Not exceeding 15 miles...................................

0

6

Exceeding 15 but not exceeding 50 miles.......................

1

0

Exceeding 50 but not exceeding 100 miles ......................

2

0

Exceeding 100 but not exceeding 200 miles .....................

3

0

Exceeding 200 but not exceeding 300 miles......................

4

0

Exceeding 300 but not exceeding 400 miles .....................

5

0

Exceeding 400 miles.....................................

6

0

Messenger fee.

14. Regulation 142 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the figure and letter “6d.” (wherever occurring) and inserting in their stead the words “One shilling and sixpence”.


Charges.

15. Regulation 144D of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the word “Threepence” (wherever occurring) and inserting in its stead the word “Fourpence”.

Charge for line.

16. Regulation 147 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the table in sub-regulation (1.) and inserting in its stead the following table:—

Unit fee area.

State Capital City.

Other places.

 

Per annum.

Per annum.

 

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

For the first quarter mile or part thereof ...............

3

14

0

3

4

0

For each additional 220 yards or part thereof............

1

14

0

1

6

0

Fire alarms.

17. Regulation 151 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the table in sub-regulation (2.) and inserting in its stead the following table:—

Number of pairs of conductors in one cable.

Charge for each quarter mile or portion thereof for each pair of conductors up to one mile in length of circuit.

Charge for each

220 yards or portion thereof beyond one mile for each pair of conductors.

 

£

s.

d.

£

s.

d.

1........................................

4

14

0

2

6

0

2........................................

2

12

0

1

6

0

3 or 4.....................................

1

14

0

0

16

0

5 or 6.....................................

1

10

0

0

15

0

7 or 8.....................................

1

6

0

0

14

0

Fire brigade lines—non exchange services.

18. Regulation 168 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the figures and letter “25s.” and inserting in their stead the words “One pound fourteen shillings”.

Military lines.

19. Regulation 169 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the figures and letter “25s.” and inserting in their stead the words “One pound fourteen shillings”.

By Authority: A. J. ARTHUR, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1950 aimed to govern the operation of postal and telegraph services in Australia, including the regulation of telecommunications. Enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament, this legislation provided the framework for the delivery of postal and telegraphic services and laid the groundwork for the evolution of telecommunications in the country. The Act was designed to ensure efficient and effective communication services were available to the public and businesses. The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1950, enacted on 29 September 1959, sought to address various aspects of telephone services, including annual rentals, extra charges for service beyond a two-mile radius, and the provision of services to distant exchanges. The policy objective was to update and refine the regulatory framework governing telecommunications to reflect changing needs and technological advancements in the field.

Scope and Application

The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1950, specifically targeting amendments to the Telephone Regulations, apply to the services provided by the Commonwealth of Australia in relation to telephone services. These Regulations, which came into operation on the first day of October 1959, are designed to adjust the pricing and fees associated with various aspects of telephone services, such as annual rental fees, unit fees, and charges for trunk line calls, among others. The Regulations govern entities involved in the provision and consumption of telephone services, impacting both subscribers and the entities responsible for delivering these services. Geographically, these Regulations operate within the Commonwealth, governing services across Australia. The scope of these amendments includes adjustments to rental fees for different subscriber categories, changes to unit fees for various services, and modifications to the charges for trunk line calls. These Regulations do not explicitly state exclusions or exemptions but rather provide a comprehensive framework for the pricing structure of telephone services. The application of these Regulations can be further refined or expanded through subordinate instruments, allowing for detailed adjustments and clarifications as needed.

Key Provisions

The main operative sections of the Regulations include changes to the annual rental for subscribers connected to telephone exchanges (Regulation 2), adjustments to the unit fee for various telephone services (Regulation 6), modifications to the charges for services to distant exchanges (Regulation 5), and alterations to the charges for trunk line calls (Regulation 12). These sections outline the new rates and fees applicable to different categories of subscribers and services, reflecting the updated structure of the telephone network. The Regulations impose several obligations on the parties involved. For instance, subscribers must adhere to the new rates and fees as stipulated in the updated regulations (Regulation 2). The Postmaster-General is required to ensure that the new rates are implemented effectively and uniformly across the network (Regulation 2). Furthermore, subscribers leasing telephone services for public use must comply with the new unit fee provisions (Regulation 6). Breaches of these Regulations can lead to various civil and criminal consequences. While the specific penalties are not detailed in the Regulations themselves, it is generally understood that failure to comply with telecommunications regulations can result in fines, service disconnection, or other administrative actions. Additionally, deliberate or negligent actions that result in significant harm or disruption to the telecommunications network could potentially lead to criminal charges under broader telecommunications laws.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Telecommunications Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Definitions & Interpretation
Annual rental
Charges

Interactions

Authorises

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