Telecommunication Authority of Singapore Bill

Bill No. 8/1974

Read the first time on 14th March 1974.

An Act to provide for the merger of the Singapore Telephone Board established under the Singapore Telephone Board Act (Chapter 85 of the Revised Edition) and the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore established under the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore Act, 1972 (No. 2 of 1972) into a single body corporate to be known as the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore (hereinafter called “the Authority”) and for the exclusive exercise, performance, administration and regulation by the Authority of functions relating to the provision of overseas and domestic telecommunication services; and for the transfer to and the vesting in the Authority of the staff, functions, assets, liabilities, services and telecommunication and other undertakings of the aforesaid statutory bodies; and to repeal the Singapore Telephone Board Act and the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore Act, 1972; and for matters incidental thereto.

Be it enacted by the President with the advice and consent of the Parliament of Singapore, as follows: —

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Short title and commencement

1. This Act may be cited as the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore Act, 1974 and shall come into operation on such date as the Minister may, by notification in the Gazette, appoint.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“auditor” means a person approved as a company auditor under section 8 of the Companies Act (Cap. 185) and includes the Auditor-General;

“Authority” means the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore established by section 3;

“Authority’s installations” means the telecommunication installations owned by the Authority;

“Chairman” means the Chairman of the Authority appointed under paragraph 1 of the First Schedule and includes any temporary Chairman appointed under paragraph 5 of that Schedule;

“communication” means any telegram, telegraph message, photo-telegraph, telephone call, telex message, data message, or any other form of intelligence or message conveyed by telecommunication or given to a telecommunication officer to be sent by or delivered by telecommunication;

“Deputy Chairman” means the Deputy Chairman of the Authority appointed under paragraph 2 of the First Schedule and includes any temporary Deputy Chairman appointed under paragraph 5 of that Schedule;

“domestic service” means a telecommunication service enabling communication between parties within Singapore;

“financial year” means a period of twelve months beginning on the 1st day of April and ending on the 31st day of March in any year except that for the year of incorporation of the Authority the financial year shall mean the period from the date of incorporation and ending on the 31st day of March next;

“General Manager” means the General Manager appointed under section 10 and includes any person acting in that capacity;

“Hertzian waves” means electro-magnetic waves between ten kilohertz and three million megahertz;

“member of the Authority” includes the Chairman and the Deputy Chairman;

“operate” includes the functions of establishment, promotion, installation, construction, development, use, work or maintenance, hire and sales;

“overseas telecommunication service” means a telecommunication service enabling communication with parties outside Singapore;

“private safety” means the obviation of danger to individuals or to private property;

“public officer” means a person holding any office of emolument under the Government;

“public safety” means the obviation of danger to the general public, to public property and to roads, streets, railways, canals, docks, wharves, piers, bridges, gasworks, waterworks and their appurtenances, and to telegraphic, telephonic and other electrical signalling lines;

“radio-communication” means any telecommunication by means of Hertzian waves;

“statutory body” means a body constituted under any written law as an agency or instrument of the Government;

“STB” means the Singapore Telephone Board established under the repealed Singapore Telephone Board Act (Cap. 85);

“street” includes any way, road, lane, path, square, court, alley, passage or open space, whether a thoroughfare or not, over which the public have a right of way and also the roadway and footway over any public bridge and includes any road, footway or passage, court or alley, used or intended to be used as a means of access to two or more holdings, whether the public have a right of way thereover or not;

“subscriber” means any party to a telecommunication contract with the Authority;

“TAS” means the Telecommunication Authority of Singapore established under the repealed Telecommunication Authority of Singapore Act, 1972 (Act 2 of 1972);

“telecommunication” means any system for the transmission, emission or reception of signs, signals, writing, images and sounds or intelligence of any nature by wire, radio, visual or other electromagnetic systems;

“telecommunication equipment” includes any appliance, apparatus or accessory used for telecommunication;

“telecommunication installations and plant” includes all buildings, land, interests in land, exchanges, machinery, apparatus, equipment, plant, cables, poles, lines, vehicles and all other appliances or accessories whatsoever used for telecommunication;

“telecommunication line” means a wire or wires used for telecommunication with any casing, coating, tube or pipe enclosing the same and any appliance and any apparatus connected therewith for the purpose of fixing or insulating the same;

“telecommunication officer” means a member of the staff of the Authority;

“telecommunication service” means the provision of the necessary physical, operational and administrative facilities whereby persons may by means of telecommunication communicate with parties within or outside Singapore;

“telecommunication system” means any telecommunication installations and plant or any telecommunication equipment or any component part thereof, with or without telecommunication lines, capable of being used or being adapted for use for telecommunication whether in operation or not, and includes radio-communication apparatus and equipment;

“vessel” shall have the meaning assigned to it in the Merchant Shipping Act (Cap. 172).

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