Telephone Regulations, 1959.
Statutory Instruments
Source: Statutory Instruments

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paragraphs: These Regulations may be cited as the Telephone Regulations, 1959.
2 Commencement
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paragraphs: These Regulations shall come into operation on the 1st day of August, 1959.
3 Interpretation.
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paragraphs: The Interpretation Act, 1937 (No. 38 of 1937), applies to these Regulations.
4 Definitions.
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paragraphs: In these Regulations—
" agreement " means an agreement between the Minister and a subscriber,
" alarm clock call " means a call made at the request of a caller or subscriber from an exchange at a specified time to an exchange line or coin box exchange line connected to the same exchange,
" caller " means a person attending at a call office or a person other than the subscriber making use of a coin box exchange line for the purpose of transmitting or receiving a telephonic message,
" call office " means an office open to the public whether continuously or for such daily periods as may be determined from time to time by the Minister for the purpose of transmission and reception of telephonic messages,
references to calls made by a subscriber shall be construed as references to calls made by means of an exchange line which is the subject of an agreement, whether the call is made by the subscriber or by another person,
" certified " means certified by the Minister or by a duly authorised officer of the Department of Posts and Telegraphs, and any such certificate shall be prima facie evidence of the matter certified,
" coin box " means a receptacle for coins rented from the Minister by a subscriber and connected with a telephone provided under an agreement,
" coin box exchange line " means an exchange line with which is connected a coin box,
" exchange " means a building or apparatus telegraphically connected or intended to be so connected with two or more offices by telegraphic lines and used or intended to be used for the purpose of enabling telephonic messages to be transmitted direct between such offices by means of or with the aid of such lines and of appliances placed in or forming part of the exchange, and designated by the Minister to be an exchange,
" exchange line " means primarily a telegraphic line and apparatus connecting an exchange with an office, and also includes extension lines and apparatus specified in the agreement between the Minister and a subscriber and all other telephone apparatus and accessories the property of the Minister in or on the subscriber's premises,
" exchange system " means an exchange or group of exchanges directed by the Minister to be regarded as an exchange system, together with the exchange lines to any such exchange and, in the case of any such group of exchanges, the telegraphic lines connecting those exchanges with one another,
" fee " means any charge other than a charge specified in these Regulations made to a subscriber by the Minister in respect of a service rendered to the said subscriber,
" fixed-time call " means a call to be effected at or about a time specified in advance by the subscriber or caller,
" fixed-time charge " means a charge in respect of a fixed-time call or in respect of an attempt to effect a fixed-time call,
" local call " means any call referred to in paragraph (2) or paragraph (3) of Regulation 5,
" multi-metered trunk call " means a call which is made by a subscriber in which the connection of the call is effected by automatic switching and in respect of which the charge for thecall is recorded on the meter associated with the subscriber's exchange line as a number of local calls aggregating in value to the charge appropriate to the call in accordance with Regulation 6,
" office " means a building, part of a building, or other place which is telegraphically connected or intended to be connected, whether permanently or temporarily, by a telegraphic line or telegraphic lines with some other building, part of a building, or place (whether the buildings, parts of buildings, or places respectively be occupied or used solely by one person or by two or more persons jointly) and in or at which telephones are intended to be used for the purpose of enabling any person to transmit from and receive at such building, part of a building, or place telephonic messages,
" personal call " means a call which is specified by the subscriber or caller to be a call for establishment of telephonic communication between the subscriber or caller and a designated person or, at the request (made when the application for the call is made) of the subscriber or caller, between the subscriber or caller and a designated person or a substitute for that person,
" personal charge " means a charge in respect of a personal call or in respect of an attempt to effect a personal call,
" private telephone circuit " means a telegraphic line and apparatus which connects one office with another independently of any exchange and which is rented from the Minister by the occupier or occupiers of the offices so connected for his or their exclusive use for the purpose of transmitting and receiving telephonic messages on his or their business or private affairs,
" subscriber " means a person with whom the Minister makes or has made an agreement for the purpose of enabling such subscriber to communicate with other persons by means of the telegraphic line specified in that agreement,
" subscriber dialled trunk call " means a call which is made by a subscriber or a caller in which the connection of the call is affected by automatic switching and in respect of which the charge for the call is recorded on the meter associated with the subscriber's exchange line or the call office line as a number of local calls in accordance with Regulation 8,
" subscription " means the sum due in accordance with the terms of the agreement in respect of the rental of the exchange line specified in the agreement,
" subscriber's premises " means any premises where the exchange line is installed,
" telegraphic line " has the meaning given to it by the Telegraph Act, 1878, for the purposes of that Act,
" telephone " means a telegraphic transmitting or receiving instrument used or intended to be used at any office for the purpose of transmitting or receiving by means of electricity spoken messages or communications,
" telephone service " means the facility provided by the Minister under an agreement at the premises of a subscriber whereby the said subscriber is enabled to transmit and receive telephonic messages on his business or private affairs,
" telephonic message " means a spoken message or communication transmitted by telephone,
" the Minister " means the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs,
" trunk call " means any call which is not a local call,
" trunk line " means a telegraphic line used for telephonic communication and connecting an exchange system with another exchange system,
" urgent call " means a trunk call, for which precedence is requested by the subscriber or caller, and to which the Minister assigns the degree of precedence over other trunk calls which he considers appropriate.
PART II. CALL CHARGES AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING THERETO.
5 Charges for local calls.
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paragraphs: (1) The Minister shall classify telephone exchanges into groups (herein referred to as telephone groups) and shall determine in relation to each telephone group : (a) what other telephone groups, if any, are to be regarded as adjacent to it and (b) the point (herein referred to as the group centre) which is to be used for measuring distances for the purpose of charging for calls.
(2) In respect of every call made by a subscriber to a telephone in the same telephone group or to a telephone in another telephone group which is regarded as adjacent to the telephone group of the subscriber making the call there shall be charged to the subscriber and paid by him—
(a) if he rents an exchange line without a coin box—the sum of twopence,
(b) if he rents a coin box exchange line—the sum of twopence halfpenny.
(3) (a) In respect of every call made by a caller from a call office to a telephone in the same telephone group or to a telephone in another telephone group which is regarded as adjacent to the telephone group of the call office from which the call is being made there shall be charged the sum of three pence.
(b) In respect of every call made from a coin box exchange line to a telephone in the same telephone group or to a telephone in another telephone group which is regarded as adjacent to the telephone group of the coin box exchange line from which the call is being made there shall be placed in the coin box the sum of three pence.
6 Charges for trunk calls.
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paragraphs: (1) In respect of every trunk call (excluding subscriber dialled trunk calls) made by a subscriber there shall be charged to the subscriber and paid by him—