Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904

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Wireless Telegraphy Act is (with its variations) a stock short title used for legislation in the Republic of Ireland, South Africa and the United Kingdom relating to wireless telegraphy.

The Wireless Telegraphy Acts are laws regulating radio communications in the United Kingdom.

Wireless telegraphy as a concept is defined in British law as "the sending of electro-magnetic energy over paths not provided by a material substance."

The term telegraphy, although best known in relation to the electric telegraph, relates to the sending of messages over long-distances. Wireless telegraphy is differentiated from electrical telegraphy in that the messages are transmitted via electromagnetic means (light or radio) rather than via a physical electrical cable connection.

The current (2018) supervisor of the UK's electromagnetic spectrum is the communications regulator, Ofcom.

List

Cape Colony (South Africa)

Ireland

  • The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904 and 1906 (pre-independence acts repealed in 1926)
  • The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926 (the principal Act)
  • The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1956 (concerned with use of radios in vehicles)
  • The Broadcasting Authority Act 1960 (established RTÉ and makes amendments to the 1926 Act in relation to television and interference)
  • The Broadcasting offences Act 1968 (banned Irish citizens from involvement in offshore radio stations)
  • The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1972 (concerned mainly with TV receiver licensing)
  • The Broadcasting Authority (Amendment) Act 1976 (amendments concerning cable TV)
  • The Broadcasting And Wireless Telegraphy Act 1988 (concerned mainly with unlicensed broadcasting)
  • The Broadcasting Act 1990 (amendments concerning cable TV and unauthorised decoding or interception of broadcast services)
  • The Broadcasting Act 2009

United Kingdom

Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904[a]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to provide for the regulation of Wireless Telegraphy.
Citation4 Edw. 7. c. 24
Territorial extent 
[b]
Dates
Royal assent15 August 1904
Commencement15 August 1904[c]
Expired31 July 1906[d]
Repealed18 July 1973
Other legislation
Amended by
Repealed byStatute Law (Repeals) Act 1973
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
  • The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1904 (4 Edw. 7. c. 24) (subsequently repealed)
Wireless Telegraphy Act 1906[e]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to continue the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1904,
Citation6 Edw. 7. c. 13
Territorial extent United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent20 July 1906
Commencement20 July 1906[c]
Repealed1 June 1854
Other legislation
AmendsWireless Telegraphy Act 1904
Repealed byWireless Telegraphy Act 1949
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
  • The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1906 (6 Edw. 7. c. 13) (subsequently repealed)
Wireless Telegraphy (Explanation) Act 1925[e]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to explain the meaning of the expressions "transmission" and "rent or royalty" where used in certain provisions of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1904.
Citation15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 67
Territorial extent United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent7 August 1925
Commencement7 August 1925[c]
Repealed18 July 1973
Other legislation
AmendsWireless Telegraphy Act 1904
Repealed byStatute Law (Repeals) Act 1973
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
  • The Wireless Telegraphy (Explanation) Act 1925 (15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 67) (subsequently repealed)
Wireless Telegraphy (Blind Persons Facilities) Act 1926[f]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to facilitate the use of wireless telegraphy by the blind.
Citation16 & 17 Geo. 5. c. 54
Territorial extent United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent15 December 1926
Commencement15 December 1926[c]
Repealed18 July 1973
Other legislation
Amended by
Repealed byStatute Law (Repeals) Act 1973
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
  • The Wireless Telegraphy (Blind Persons Facilities) Act 1926 (16 & 17 Geo. 5. c. 54) (subsequently repealed)
Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949[g]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to amend the law relating to wireless telegraphy.
Citation12, 13 & 14 Geo. 6. c. 54
Territorial extent United Kingdom[h]
Dates
Royal assent30 July 1949
Commencement
  • 30 July 1949
  • 8 April 1954 (sections 5, 6 and 8)
  • 1 June 1854 (sections 1–4 and 7)
[i]
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes
Amended by
Repealed byWireless Telegraphy Act 2006
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
Wireless Telegraphy (Validation of Charges) Act 1954[j]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to validate certain charges in respect of licences under the Wireless Telegraphy Acts, 1904 to 1926, and for purposes connected with the matter aforesaid.
Citation3 & 4 Eliz. 2. c. 2
Territorial extent 
[k]
Dates
Royal assent22 December 1954
Commencement22 December 1954[l]
Repealed18 July 1973
Other legislation
Repealed byStatute Law (Repeals) Act 1973
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
  • The Wireless Telegraphy (Validation of Charges) Act 1954 (3 & 4 Eliz. 2. c. 2) (subsequently repealed)
Wireless Telegraphy (Blind Persons) Act 1955[j]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to amend subsection (2) of section two of the Wireless Telegraphy Act, 1949.
Citation4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 7
Territorial extent 
[m]
Dates
Royal assent27 July 1955
Commencement27 July 1955[c]
Repealed1 April 1991[n]
Other legislation
AmendsWireless Telegraphy Act 1949
Repealed byBroadcasting Act 1990
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
  • The Wireless Telegraphy (Blind Persons) Act 1955 (4 & 5 Eliz. 2. c. 7)
Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967[o]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to enable the Postmaster General to obtain information as to the sale and hire of television receiving sets; to enable him to prohibit the manufacture or importation of certain wireless telegraphy apparatus; to make provision for requiring applicants for vehicle excise licences to give information about such apparatus installed in vehicles; to make miscellaneous amendments in the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949; and for connected purposes.
Citation1967 c. 72
Territorial extent 
[p]
Dates
Royal assent27 July 1967
Commencement27 July 1967[c]
Repealed25 March 2013
Other legislation
AmendsWireless Telegraphy Act 1949
Amended by
Repealed byEnterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
  • The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1967 (c. 72) (subsequently repealed)
Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998[q]
Act of Parliament
coat of arms
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long titleAn Act to make provision about the grant of, and sums payable in respect of, licences under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 other than television licences, and about the promotion of the efficient use and management of the electro-magnetic spectrum for wireless telegraphy; and for connected purposes.
Citation1998 c. 6
Territorial extent 
[r]
Dates
Royal assent18 March 1998
Commencement18 June 1998[s]
Repealed8 February 2007
Other legislation
Amends
Repealed byWireless Telegraphy Act 2006
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
  • The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998 (c. 6) (introduced spectrum pricing)

See also

Notes

  1. Section 3(1).
  2. Section 3(2).
  3. The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.
  4. Section 6.
  5. Section 2.
  6. Section 3.
  7. Section 20(1).
  8. Section 20(2)–(3).
  9. Section 8. The Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 (Commencement) Order 1954 (SI 1954/437).
  10. Section 2(1).
  11. Section 2(2)–(4).
  12. Section 1.
  13. Section 2(2)–(3).
  14. The Broadcasting Act 1990 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional Provisions) Order 1990.
  15. Section 15(1).
  16. Section 19(5)–(6).
  17. Section 10(1).
  18. Section 9.
  19. Section 10(2).