Telephone Regulations (Amendment)

Legislation au C1950L00092 Regulations Not in force Legislative Instrument

Legislation content

STATUTORY RULES.

1950. No. 92.

REGULATIONS UNDER THE POST AND TELEGRAPH ACT 1901-1949.*

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 1901-1949.

Dated this twenty third day of November, 1950

W.J. McKELL

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

H. L. Anthony

Postmaster General.

AMENDMENTS OF THE TELEPHONE REGULATIONS.†

Commencement.

1. These Regulations shall come into operation on the first day of December, 1950.

Unauthorized connexion telephone system &c.

2. Regulation 16A of the Telephone Regulations is amended-

(a) by inserting in paragraph (b) of sub-regulation (1.), after the words " or to use ", the words ", directly or indirectly," ;

(b) by inserting in that paragraph, after the words " listening to ", the words " or recording ";

(c) by inserting in that paragraph, after the word " passing ", the words " or being received ";

(d) by inserting in paragraph (c) of sub-regulation (1.), after the words " listening to ", the words " or recording ";

(e) by inserting in that paragraph, after the word " passing ", the words " or being received ";

(f) by inserting in sub-regulation (2.), after the words " or to use ", the words ", directly or indirectly," ;

(g) by inserting in that sub-regulation, after the words " listening to ", the words " or recording " ; and

(h) by inserting in that sub-regulation, after the word " passing ", the words " or being received ".

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on  , 1950.

†Statutory Rules 1927, No. 145, as amended by Statutory Rules 1928, No. 99 ;1929, Nos. 122 and 123 ; 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.

5332.—PRICE 3D . 10/20.11.1950,


Rental within two-mile radius.

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

" (1.) The charge payable by a subscriber for a service specified in the following table shall be the rate specified in that table in relation to the service :—

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 within a two-mile radius of the exchange—

For all 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 300 ......

5

3

5

0

3

5

0

2

10

0

2

0

0

 From 301 to 1,000 ..

5

3

15

0

3

15

0

2

15

0

2

5

0

From 1,001 to 2,000 ..

5

4

10

0

4

10

0

3

7

6

2

15

0

From 2,001 to 5,000 ..

5

5

5

0

5

5

0

3

17

6

3

2

6

From 5,001 to 10,000 

5

6

5

0

5

5

0

4

15

0

4

0

0

From 5,001 to 10,000

10

7

7

6

5

15

0

5

0

0

4

5

0

From 10,001 and upwards

10

8

12

6

7

0

0

6

5

0

5

5

0

From 10,001 and upwards

15

9

5

0

7

10

0

6

15

0

5

12

6

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

".

Unit calls— capital cities and Newcastle.

4. Regulation 35 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by inserting, after the word "Hobart", the words " or the Hamilton automatic exchange at Newcastle,".

Unit calls— other places.

5. Regulation 36 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting the proviso thereto.

6. Regulation 37 of the Telephone Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead :—

Unit fee.

" 37. A unit fee of two pence shall be payable by the subscriber for each effective unit call originating from his telephone.".

Party-line services

7. Regulation 59 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by adding at the end thereof the following words:— ", or where, notwithstanding any agreement between the Department and a subscriber for an exclusive service, the Department considers it necessary or expedient to convert an exclusive service to a party-line service.".

Objectionable or fictitious messages.

8. Regulation 63 of the Telephone Regulations is amended by omitting from sub-regulation (1.) the words " Not exceeding Ten pounds " and inserting in their stead the words " fifty pounds ".

Public telephones specified.

9. Regulation 120 of the Telephone Regulations is amended—

(a) by adding at the end of paragraph (a) the word " and ";

(b) by omitting from paragraph (b) the word " ; and " and inserting in its stead the words " or the Hamilton automatic exchange at Newcastle :"; and

(c) by omitting paragraph (c).


10. Regulation 138 of the Telephone Regulations is repealed and the following regulation inserted in its stead :—

Charges for trunk line calls.

“138.(1.) Subject to this regulation, the charges payable for trunk line calls shall be in accordance with the following table :—

Radial Distance between Exchanges or Offices.

Each Three Minutes or Part Thereof.

Between 9a.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

6

0

6

Exceeding

15 but not exceeding

20 miles ...

0

8

0

8

Exceeding

20 but not exceeding

25 miles....

0

10

0

8

Exceeding

25 but not exceeding

30 miles ...

1

0

0

10

Exceeding

30 but not exceeding

35 miles ...

1

2

0

10

Exceeding

35 but not exceeding

40 miles ...

1

4

1

0

Exceeding

40 but not exceeding

50 miles ...

1

8

1

2

Exceeding

50 but not exceeding

60 miles ...

2

0

1

6

Exceeding

60 but not exceeding

80 miles ...

2

4

1

8

Exceeding

80 but not exceeding

100 miles ...

2

8

2

0

Exceeding

100 but not exceeding

150 miles ...

3

6

2

8

Exceeding

150 but not exceeding

200 miles ...

4

4

3

4

Exceeding

200 but not exceeding

250 miles ...

5

2

3

10

Exceeding

250 but not exceeding

300 miles ...

6

0

4

6

Exceeding

300 but not exceeding

350 miles ...

6

10

5

2

Exceeding

350 but not exceeding

400 miles ...

7

8

5

10

Exceeding

400 but not exceeding

500 miles ...

9

0

6

10

Exceeding

500 but not exceeding

600 miles ...

10

4

7

10

Exceeding

600 but not exceeding

700 miles ...

11

8

8

10

Exceeding

700 but not exceeding

800 miles ...

13

0

9

10

Exceeding

800 but not exceeding

900 miles ...

14

4

10

10

Exceeding

900 but not exceeding

1,000 miles ...

15

8

11

10

Exceeding

1,000 but not exceeding

1,150 miles ...

17

0

12

10

Exceeding

1,150 but not exceeding

1,300 miles...

18

4

13

10

Exceeding

1,300 miles .......................

19

8

14

10

" (2.) For trunk line calls between exchanges or offices situated outside the boundaries of a State Capital City network but within thirty miles of the General Post Office, Sydney, or Melbourne, or within twenty-five miles of the General Post Office, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth or Hobart, and exchanges or offices situated within a radius of ten miles of the General Post Office in each such Capital City, the charges prescribed by the last preceding sub-regulation shall be reduced in accordance with the following table :—

Calls to and from Exchanges or Offices within a ten-mile radius of the General Post-Office—

Radial Distance between Exchanges or Offices—

Amount of Reduction for each Three Minutes or Part Thereof.

 

 

d.

Sydney or Melbourne

Exceeding 15 but not exceeding 30 miles

2

Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth or Hobart

Exceeding 10 but not exceeding 25 miles

2


" (3.) A trunk line may, subject to such conditions as the Director-General from time to time determines, be set apart for the exclusive use of a subscriber during regular periods and the charges payable by a subscriber for the use of that trunk line shall be such as the Director-General determines.".

Calls to particular persons.

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

" (2.) The charge payable for the service specified in the last preceding sub-regulation shall, irrespective of the success or failure of the attempt to obtain the particular person required, be in accordance with the following table :—

Radial Distance between Exchanges or Offices.

Charge

 

 

 

s.

d.

Not exceeding

15 miles ..................................

0

4

Exceeding

15 but not exceeding

25 miles ............

0

6

Exceeding

25 but not exceeding

35 miles ............

0

8

Exceeding

35 but not exceeding

50 miles............

0

10

Exceeding

50 but not exceeding

60 miles ............

1

0

Exceeding

60 but not exceeding

80 miles ............

1

2

Exceeding

80 but not exceeding

100 miles ............

1

4

Exceeding

100 but not exceeding

150 miles............

1

6

Exceeding

150 but not exceeding

200 miles ............

1

8

Exceeding

200 but not exceeding

250 miles ............

1

10

Exceeding

250 but not exceeding

300 miles ............

2

0

Exceeding

300 but not exceeding

350 miles ............

2

4

Exceeding

350 but not exceeding

400 miles............

2

8

Exceeding

400 but not exceeding

700 miles ............

3

0

Exceeding

700 but not exceeding

1,000 miles ............

3

6

Exceeding

1,000 miles..................................

4

0

By Authority: L. F. JOHNSTON, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.

Overview

The Statutory Rules 1950, No. 92, were enacted to amend the existing telephone regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1949. This legislation was introduced to address gaps and problems in the regulation of telephone services in Australia, ensuring that the rules governing telephone usage were up-to-date and reflected technological advancements and operational needs. The regulations were made by the Governor-General in accordance with the Federal Executive Council, and the policy objective was to provide clear guidelines on the usage, charges, and operational aspects of telephone services across Australia. The regulations updated various aspects, including the unauthorized connection to telephone systems, charges for different types of services, and penalties for objectionable or fictitious messages.

Scope and Application

The Statutory Rules 1950 No. 92, made under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1949, detail amendments to the Telephone Regulations. These amendments came into operation on the first day of December 1950 and primarily concern the unauthorised connection to telephone systems, the regulation of charges for telephone services, and the introduction of new fees for unit calls. The Regulations apply to subscribers of telephone services within the Commonwealth of Australia, including those in capital cities and Newcastle, and govern conduct related to the use of telephone services, including listening to, recording, or passing on calls. The Regulations set forth specific charges for services such as annual rentals, unit calls, party-line services, and trunk line calls, with distinctions made between exclusive and party-line services, as well as between calls within and beyond certain radii from exchange points. The amendments also adjust penalties for sending objectionable or fictitious messages, with the maximum penalty increasing to fifty pounds. Additionally, the Regulations extend to the specification of public telephones and the charges for calls to particular persons, irrespective of the outcome of the call. These regulations are enforced by the Postmaster General and can be further extended or restricted through subordinate instruments.

Key Provisions

The Regulations under the Post and Telegraph Act 1901-1949, specifically the Telephone Regulations, are amended to alter various provisions related to telephone services. Regulation 16A is amended to broaden the definition of unauthorized connection to a telephone system to include recording or receiving communications directly or indirectly. Regulation 29 is revised to specify new charges for telephone services within a two-mile radius of an exchange, based on the number of subscribers' lines. Regulation 35 is updated to include the Hamilton automatic exchange at Newcastle, alongside Hobart, for certain unit call charges. Regulation 37 is repealed and replaced with a new regulation specifying a unit fee of two pence for each effective unit call originating from a telephone. Regulation 59 is amended to allow conversion of exclusive services to party-line services under certain conditions. The penalty for sending objectionable or fictitious messages is increased from ten pounds to fifty pounds, as per Regulation 63. Regulation 120 is modified to include the Hamilton automatic exchange at Newcastle in the list of specified public telephones. Regulation 138 is repealed and substituted with new provisions for trunk line call charges, varying by radial distance and time of day, and allowing for exclusive use of trunk lines with determined charges. Regulation 141 is amended to set specific charges for calls to particular persons based on the radial distance between exchanges or offices. These amendments impose specific obligations on telephone service providers and subscribers, including adherence to new charge structures, unit fees, and penalties for unauthorized connections and objectionable communications. The obligations encompass ensuring compliance with the revised regulations regarding telephone service provision, subscriber agreements, and the handling of specific calls. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines, legal action, and other civil or criminal consequences as determined by the relevant authorities. For instance, the increased penalty for sending objectionable or fictitious messages suggests a serious enforcement against such activities, with potential fines up to fifty pounds. The detailed charge structures in the amended regulations also imply that non-compliance with these financial obligations could lead to disputes or legal actions over billing discrepancies.

Legal classification tags

Area of Law
Telecommunications Law
Instrument
Regulation
Concepts
Commencement Provisions
Regulatory Standards
Charges & Fees

Interactions

Authorises

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