The Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003

Citation and Commencement

1.  This Order may be cited as the Electronic Communications (Universal Service) Order 2003 and shall come into force on 25th July 2003.

Interpretation

2.  In this Order—

“the Act” means the Communications Act 2003;

“disability” has the same meaning as in section 1 of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995(1);

“network termination point” means the physical point at which a subscriber is provided with access to a public electronic communications network and in the case of electronic communications networks involving switching or routing, the network termination point is identified by means of a specific electronic communications network address, which may be linked to a subscriber’s number or name;

“publicly available telephone service” means a service available to the public for originating and receiving national and international calls and access to emergency services through a telephone number or numbers in a national or international telephone numbering plan, and may, where relevant, also include one or more of the following—

“public pay telephone” means a telephone available to the general public, for the use of which the means of payment may include one or more of the following:

“public telephone network” means an electronic communications network which is used to provide publicly available telephone services and supports the transfer between network termination points of speech communications, and also other forms of communications, such as facsimile and data;

“relay service” means a service which:

“subscriber” means any person who is a party to a contract with the provider of a public electronic communications service for the supply of such service; and

“textphone” means an integrated terminal incorporating an alphanumeric keyboard and means of displaying text, intended for connection to the public telephone network for the sole or primary purpose of supporting live telephone conversations between two or more individuals.

Universal service obligations

3.  The extent to which the things falling within section 65(2) of the Act must be provided, made available or supplied throughout the United Kingdom is set out in the Schedule to this Order.

Guidance on the pricing of universal service obligations

4.  The matters set out in the Schedule should be offered at prices that are:

(a)affordable for all end-users; and

(b)uniform throughout the United Kingdom, unless OFCOM have determined that there is clear justification for not doing so.