An operating device having an input-side coarse protection (G), an output with separate interface circuits (SS1, SS2) and a fine protection on the output side (F) and a lighting means connected to the operating device, wherein with the coarse protection (G) which is designed to short-circuit an overvoltage of the mains voltage occurring at the input of the operating device, both a first branch for the connection of the lighting means to a first of the interface circuits (SS1) as well as a second branch for connecting at least one communication module to a second of the interface circuits (SS2), wherein in the first branch with the coarse protection (G) a mains filter (NF) which is set up by the coarse protection (G) for the subsequent circuit parts, to reduce, fold and reduce the rate of rise of the overvoltage pulse, wherein a clamping circuit (K), consisting of the fine protection (F) and a first energy absorber (E1), is connected to the mains filter (NF), wherein, if the residual voltage of the pulse is too high, the fine protection (F) is designed to activate the first energy absorber (E1) and to cause a short circuit of the overvoltage pulse and to deactivate the short circuit once the next zero crossing of the network voltage has been reached, wherein a second energy absorber (E2) is connected to the first energy absorber (E1), which second energy absorber (E2) is designed to limit the current when switched on with the aid of a temperature-dependent resistor (NTC), wherein in order to protect the first output-side interface circuit (SS1) of the operating device before overvoltages and overcurrent, which act on the operating device by the lighting means, the first interface circuit (SS1) comprises an overvoltage protection and overcurrent protection (ÜS), and wherein, in the second branch, the coarse protection (G) is connected to a middle protection (M), having a transformer (Ü) and a first fine protection circuit (F1), wherein the transformer (Ü) is set up in such a way to go into saturation during the overvoltage pulse that, with the first fine protection circuit (F) a filter (FK) for separating communication signals fed in parallel into the power supply network, and with this filter (FK) a second fine protection circuit (F2) is connected, and in that, in order to protect the second interface circuit (SS2) of the operating device before overvoltages and overcurrent which act on the operating device by the communication module, the second interface circuit (SS2) having an overvoltage protection and overcurrent protection (ÜS), wherein, by means of the graduated protective measures with the coarse protection (G) with network filter (NF), clamping circuit (K) with fine protection (F) and first energy absorber (E1), with the second energy absorber (E2) arranged in the first branch and arranged in the second branch with medium protection (M) with transformer (Ü) and the first fine protection circuit (F1), the filter (FK), the second fine protection circuit (F2) and the overvoltage and overcurrent protection (ÜS), a protection of the entire operating device and the communication module and lighting means connected downstream thereof is ensured from the input and from the output. <EOS>