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UK telecoms developments
]AN • FEt.{
]']~E (;()b:{PU'~ER L A W AN[} SE(.'.L~]>,]]"~~: ~{EP<}R'~'
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UK TELECOMS DEVELOPMENTS
OFTEL CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON "THE CITIZENS CHARTER" IN THE CONTEXT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS establish levels of compensation payable for failure to meet the standards set. The consultative document is available from the Office of Telecommunications Press Office (telephone number 071-634-8754).
On 26th October 1992, Bill Wigglesworth, the Director General of Telecommunications, asked for views on performance standards that should be set for telecommunications operators under the "citizens charter" initiative iiii!~!il being promulgated by the Government. The consultative document details the area in which the Director General proposes to designate performance levels under powers iiiiiii~ recently granted to him in the Competition and Service iiiiiiii~ (Utilities) ACt 1992. ,,,~, The new Act applies only to designated telecommunicaii~ii:~ tions operators who provide at least 25% of the voice ii!!ii! telephony services within the area where they are licensed ~iiili to operate as public telecommunications operators. At the i moment, therefore, British Telecom and Kingston Commui~iil nications have been so designated. The Act applies to ,~,~,~,~public callbox services and certain other services if they are • ~ii!i{ provided or residential or single line business customers ~!i!i!!i i~i!{ including, for example, facsimile transmission services and iiilig~'i:~i directory information services. i!iiiii The Citizens' Charter requires OFTEL to consult on the i tandards to be set under the new Act and so opinions of i{i~i!i customers of BT and Kingston Communications are being i~ili',i canvassed. i It is intended that some standards will concern overall levels of performance, e.g. what percentage of callboxes are i!iiii{i working properly, whilst other standards will address other ii services for individual customers, such as speed of response to deal with faults. In due course, the Director General will
iiiiiiii
iiii iiiiill iiiiiill iiiiiiii ii~il
i i i !i
THE NEW SELF-PROVISION CLASS UCENCE ("THE iiii~ii SPL") AND THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS {i{il SERVICES LICENCE ("THE TSL') GRANTED BY THE iiiiii! SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY {i~{ UNDER SECTION 7 OF THE i~,i',iil TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1984 ~ili!i Both came into force on 1st september 1992. iiiiil The SPL and the TSL are the two licences under which most i~i~!i{ private telecommunications systems are run, including those iiii of all residential customers; most business customers and !iii{i most value added service providers, ii!!!i The SPL replaces the version thereof which was issued in iiiil August 1991 and the TSL replaces the Branch Systems iii! General Licence which was issued in November 1989. The Office of Telecommunications, OFTEL, has now published an excellent explanatory guide to the SPL and iii!il TSL which is extensively indexed and contains, in an i!iil appendix, details of the other Telecommunications Act ii! licences available covering private networks. ~iii The explanatory guide was produced in October 1992 i~ii~ and is published by the Office of Telecommunications, iiiii!iil Export House, 50 Ludgate Hill, London, EC4 7JJ ~i! (telephone 071-634-8764). The guide is free of charge.
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]']~E (;()b:{PU'~ER L A W AN[} SE(.'.L~]>,]]"~~: ~{EP<}R'~'
~i~i~i~i~i~i~i~i~i~i!i~i~ig:i~i~i~i~i~i~iii~i~iii~!i!ii~ii~i~iii~i~iiiii~iiii~i!i!i!iiiii~iiii.~i~i~i~i~i~iiiiiiiiiiii!ii!i!i!i!iiii~i~i~i~i~i~iiiiiiiiiiii!i!!!!!!i!i!~
ili!iiiii iiiiiiii
~ 993{ !> C].S]<-".
UK TELECOMS DEVELOPMENTS
OFTEL CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON "THE CITIZENS CHARTER" IN THE CONTEXT OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS STANDARDS establish levels of compensation payable for failure to meet the standards set. The consultative document is available from the Office of Telecommunications Press Office (telephone number 071-634-8754).
On 26th October 1992, Bill Wigglesworth, the Director General of Telecommunications, asked for views on performance standards that should be set for telecommunications operators under the "citizens charter" initiative iiii!~!il being promulgated by the Government. The consultative document details the area in which the Director General proposes to designate performance levels under powers iiiiiii~ recently granted to him in the Competition and Service iiiiiiii~ (Utilities) ACt 1992. ,,,~, The new Act applies only to designated telecommunicaii~ii:~ tions operators who provide at least 25% of the voice ii!!ii! telephony services within the area where they are licensed ~iiili to operate as public telecommunications operators. At the i moment, therefore, British Telecom and Kingston Commui~iil nications have been so designated. The Act applies to ,~,~,~,~public callbox services and certain other services if they are • ~ii!i{ provided or residential or single line business customers ~!i!i!!i i~i!{ including, for example, facsimile transmission services and iiilig~'i:~i directory information services. i!iiiii The Citizens' Charter requires OFTEL to consult on the i tandards to be set under the new Act and so opinions of i{i~i!i customers of BT and Kingston Communications are being i~ili',i canvassed. i It is intended that some standards will concern overall levels of performance, e.g. what percentage of callboxes are i!iiii{i working properly, whilst other standards will address other ii services for individual customers, such as speed of response to deal with faults. In due course, the Director General will
iiiiiiii
iiii iiiiill iiiiiill iiiiiiii ii~il
i i i !i
THE NEW SELF-PROVISION CLASS UCENCE ("THE iiii~ii SPL") AND THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS {i{il SERVICES LICENCE ("THE TSL') GRANTED BY THE iiiiii! SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY {i~{ UNDER SECTION 7 OF THE i~,i',iil TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT 1984 ~ili!i Both came into force on 1st september 1992. iiiiil The SPL and the TSL are the two licences under which most i~i~!i{ private telecommunications systems are run, including those iiii of all residential customers; most business customers and !iii{i most value added service providers, ii!!!i The SPL replaces the version thereof which was issued in iiiil August 1991 and the TSL replaces the Branch Systems iii! General Licence which was issued in November 1989. The Office of Telecommunications, OFTEL, has now published an excellent explanatory guide to the SPL and iii!il TSL which is extensively indexed and contains, in an i!iil appendix, details of the other Telecommunications Act ii! licences available covering private networks. ~iii The explanatory guide was produced in October 1992 i~ii~ and is published by the Office of Telecommunications, iiiii!iil Export House, 50 Ludgate Hill, London, EC4 7JJ ~i! (telephone 071-634-8764). The guide is free of charge.
10