The Wireless Telegraphy (Network User Stations) (Exemption) Regulations 1997

Explanatory Note

(This note is not part of the Regulations)

These Regulations provide for the exemption from the licensing requirements of section 1(1) of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (c. 54) of stations (“user stations”) designed or adapted for use by customers of certain telecommunication networks. Accordingly it will not be necessary to hold a licence to establish and use the user stations (regulation 3).

Regulation 4 provides that for the exemption to apply, certain requirements must be complied with. The user station must not cause or contribute to any undue interference to any wireless telegraphy, and unless subject to and complying with the relevant Common Technical Regulation referred to in Part I of Schedule 2 the user station must either be approved by the Secretary of State under section 84 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 (c. 12), comply with the European Telecommunications Standards or the draft European Telecommunications Standards referred to in Parts I to IV of that Schedule, comply with the requirements of Performance Specifications MPT 1324 or MPT 1326 or comply with the performance standards of the British Approvals Board for Telecommunications (BABT) referred to in Part III of that Schedule.

Regulation 5 requires that the user stations must be available for inspection, and that their use must cease, or their operation must be restricted, on the demand of a person authorised in that behalf by the Secretary of State. Failure to comply with such a demand is an offence under section 3 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949.

In addition to the requirements set out in regulation 4, the user stations will have to comply with the provisions of regulation 8 of the Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/2423, as amended and extended by S.I. 1994/3129), if applicable, before being supplied, connected or permitted to remain connected to a public telecommunication network or put into service. From 1st January 1996 the user stations have to comply with the type approval requirements set out in Part VI of the Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 1992 (S.I. 1992/2372, as amended by S.I. 1994/3080) before being supplied or taken into service to the extent that they are not duplicated by the applicable provisions of the Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Regulations.

Copies of the European Telecommunications Standards and the draft European Telecommunications Standards for GSM systems, public mobile data systems, PCN systems, and public access mobile radio systems referred to in Schedule 2 may be obtained from the British Standards Institution, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL (Tel: [phone]) or from ETSI at 06921 Sophia Antipolis, Cedex, France (Tel: [phone]).

Copies of Performance Specifications MPT 1324 and MPT 1326 may be obtained from the Radiocommunications Agency Library at New King’s Beam House, 22 Upper Ground, London SE1 9SA (Tel: [phone]).

Copies of NTR13 and BABT/SITS/92/50 may be obtained from BABT at Claremont House, 34 Molesey Road, Hersham, Walton-on-Thames, Surrey KT12 4RQ (Tel: [phone]).

Copies of CTR 005 and CTR 009 contained within the Official Journal may be obtained from The Stationery Office Books, P.O. Box 276, London SW8 5DT (Tel: [phone]) and from the European Information Centres (EICs) situated in the United Kingdom.