Introduction

This information sheet lists the main UK legislation currently applicable to radiocommunications, briefly describes its purpose and indicates where it can be obtained. It is not a comprehensive list of all wireless telegraphy legislation, and does not list Statutory Instruments relating to broadcast receiving licences (which are the responsibility of the Department of Culture, Media and Sport).

Radiocommunications legislation

Six main Acts have been passed in the area of wireless telegraphy:

• the Wireless Telegraphy Acts of 1949, 1967 and 1998;
• the Marine, &c, Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967;
• the Telecommunications Act 1984; and
• the Broadcasting Act 1990.

A number of Statutory Instruments have been made under these Acts, covering:

• control of interference;
• control of sales of unapproved apparatus;
• control of transmissions' content;
• setting of licence fees; and
• exemption of certain apparatus from licensing requirements.

The Marine, &c, Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 prohibits broadcasting from ships, offshore structures and aircraft in UK territorial waters or from ships or aircraft registered in the UK, wherever they are located, and certain acts facilitating such broadcasts.

The Telecommunications Act 1984 amended some of the provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Acts, giving increased enforcement powers against the circulation of illegal unapproved equipment and unlicensed use.

The Broadcasting Act 1990 amended the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949, creating new offences and increasing the penalties for unlicensed transmissions. It also amended the Marine, &c, Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967, making it unlawful to broadcast to the UK from a ship within prescribed areas of the high seas.

Statutory Instruments use the powers conferred by these Acts to implement the controls that are required.

Although the Radio Equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Regulations 2000 (SI 2000 No. 730) are not primary legislation (they are made under the European Communities Act 1972), they are important to mention. Affecting all radio equipment, they are designed to provide a technical framework within which radio equipment can be marketed, while at the same time freeing industry of unnecessary restrictions on trade.

Legislation is available from the Her Majesty's Stationery Office website at www.hmso.gov.uk or from The Stationery Office (TSO) at:

TSO Publications Centre
PO Box 276
London SW8 5DT
Tel: 020 7873 0011
Website: www.tso.co.uk/bookshop

TSO Bookshops
123 Kingsway
London WC2B 6PQ
Tel: 020 7242 6393 or 020 7242 6410

68-69 Bull Street
Birmingham B4 6AD
Tel: 0121 236 9696

9-21 Princess Street
Manchester M60 8AS
Tel: 0161 834 7201

16 Arthur Street Belfast BT1 4GD
Tel: 01232 238401

71 Lothian Road
Edinburgh EH3 9AZ
(counter service only)

18-19 High Street
Cardiff CF10 1PT
Tel: 02920 395548

Photocopies of out-of-print legislation can be obtained from TSO – call 020 7873 8455. There is a minimum charge of £6.00 for up to 50 pages.

Legislation

Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949
Out of print (can be downloaded from the RA website, www.radio.gov.uk)

Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967
Out of print

Marine, &c, Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967
ISBN: 0 11 803046 9

Telecommunications Act 1984
ISBN: 0 10 541284 8

Broadcasting Act 1990
ISBN: 0 10 544290 9

Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998
ISBN: 0 10 540698 8

Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000
(Updates the law on the interception of communications to take account of technological changes such as the growth of the Internet.)
ISBN: 0 10 542300 9

Statutory Instruments made under Section 10 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949
These Statutory Instruments deal with interference.
SI 1963 No. 1895
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Electro-Medical Apparatus) Regulations 1963
Out of print

SI 1971 No. 1675
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Radio-Frequency Heating Apparatus) Regulations 1971
Out of print

SI 1973 No. 1217
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Ignition Apparatus) Regulations 1973
Out of print

SI 1978 No. 1268
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Fluorescent Lighting Apparatus) Regulations 1978
ISBN: 0 11 084268 5

SI 1979 No. 1267
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Household Appliances, Portable Tools, etc) Regulations 1978
ISBN: 0 11 084267 7

SI 1982 No. 635
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Citizens' Band Radio Apparatus) Regulations 1982
ISBN: 0 11 026635 8

SI 1985 No. 807
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Fluorescent Lighting Apparatus) (Amendment) Regulations 1985
ISBN: 0 11 056807 9

SI 1985 No. 808
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Household Appliances, Portable Tools etc) (Amendment) Regulations 1985
ISBN: 0 11 056808 7

SI 1988 No. 1216
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Citizens' Band Radio Apparatus) (Amendment) Regulations 1988
ISBN: 0 11 087216 9

SI 1989 No. 561
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Fluorescent Lighting Apparatus) (Amendment) Regulations 1989
ISBN: 0 11 096561 2

SI 1989 No. 562
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Household Appliances, Portable Tools etc) (Amendment) Regulations 1989
ISBN: 0 11 096562 0

Statutory Instruments made under Section 1 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949
These statutory instruments exempt apparatus from the requirement of a licence.

SI 1988 No. 2090
The Wireless Telegraphy (Reciprocal Exemption of European Radio Amateurs) Regulations 1988
ISBN: 0 11 088090 0

SI 1989 No. 123
The Wireless Telegraphy Apparatus (Receivers) (Exemption) Regulations 1989
ISBN: 0 11 096123 4

SI 1989 No. 943
The Wireless Telegraphy Apparatus (Citizens' Band European Users) (Exemption) Regulations 1989
ISBN: 0 11 096943 X

SI 1989 No. 1842
The Wireless Telegraphy (Testing and Development Under Suppressed Radiation Conditions) (Exemption) Regulations 1989
ISBN: 0 11 097842 0

SI 1999 No. 930
The Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) Regulations 1999
ISBN: 0 11 082343 5

SI 2000 No. 1012
The Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2000
ISBN: 0 11 099112 5

SI 2001 No. 730
The Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2001
ISBN: 0 11 028873 4

SI 2002 No. 1590
The Wireless Telegraphy (Exemption) (Amendment) Regulations 2002
ISBN: 0 11 042396 8

Statutory Instruments made under Section 7 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 as amended by Section 77 of the Telecommunications Act 1984
These statutory instruments restrict the manufacture, importation, sale and possession of unapproved equipment whose use is illegal.

SI 1998 No. 722
The Wireless Telegraphy (Control of Interference from Videosenders) Order 1998
ISBN: 0 11 065889 2

SI 1998 No. 2531
The Wireless Telegraphy (Citizens' Band and Amateur Apparatus) (Various Provisions) Order 1998
ISBN: 0 11 079730 2

SI 1999 No. 2934
The Wireless Telegraphy (Cordless Telephone Apparatus)(Restriction and Marking) Order 1999
ISBN: 0 11 085447 0

SI 2000 No. 1013
The Wireless Telegraphy (Citizens' Band and Amateur Apparatus) (Various Provisions) (Amendment) Order 2000
ISBN: 0 11 099128 1

SI 2000 No. 1014
The Wireless Telegraphy (Cordless Telephone Apparatus) (Restriction and Marking) (Amendment) Order 2000
ISBN: 0 11 099129 X

Statutory Instruments made under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998

SI 1999 No. 3162
The Wireless Telegraphy (Third Generation Licences) Regulations 1999
ISBN: 0 11 085598 1

SI 2000 No. 2039
The Wireless Telegraphy (Broadband Fixed Wireless Access Licences) Regulations 2000
ISBN: 0 11 099663 1

SI 2001 No. 3193
The Wireless Telegraphy (Broadband Fixed Wireless Access Licences) Regulations 2001
ISBN: 0 11 029932 9

SI 2002 No. 1911
The Wireless Telegraphy (Public Fixed Wireless Access Licences) Regulations 2002
ISBN: 0 11 042571 5

Statutory Instruments made under Section 2 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 and Section 1 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998

SI 2002 No. 1700
The Wireless Telegraphy (Licence Charges) Regulations 2002
ISBN: 0 11 042447 6

Statutory Instruments: Miscellaneous

SI 1988 No. 47
The Wireless Telegraphy (Content of Transmission) Regulations 1988. (Made under Section 3 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967.) This prohibits the sending of messages which are of a grossly offensive, indecent, obscene or menacing character.
ISBN: 0 11 086047 0

SI 1990 No. 2503
The Marine, &c, Broadcasting (Offences) (Prescribed areas of the high seas) Order 1990
ISBN: 0 11 005609 4

SI 1992 No. 2372
The Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulations 1992
ISBN: 0 11 025372 8

SI 1994 No. 3080
The Electromagnetic Compatibility (Amendment) Regulations 1994
ISBN: 0 11 043614 8

SI 1998 No. 2970
The Wireless Telegraphy (Visiting Ships and Aircraft) Regulations 1998
ISBN: 0 11 079919 4

SI 2000 No. 730
The Radio Equipment and Telecommuni-cations Terminal Equipment Regulations 2000
ISBN: 0 11 098835 3

Other publications of general interest

RA 67: The Radio User's Guide to the Law.

RA 0: List of all Radiocommunications Agency information sheets, application forms and other publications.

Both are available free of charge from:

www.radio.gov.uk

or by contacting:

Information and Library Service
Radiocommunications Agency
Wyndham House
Marsh Wall
London E14 9SX

Tel: 020 7211 0502 or 0505
Fax: 020 7211 0507

Email: library@ra.gsi.gov.uk

RA101 (Rev 10) January 2002