Telephone Service (Amendment) Regulations. 1997

L.N, l57 of 1997

TELEMALTA CORPORATION ACT

(CAP, 250)

Telephone Service (Amendment) Regulations. 1997

IN exercise of the powers conferred by section 37 of the Telemalla

Corponnion Act, the Board, with the approval of the Prime Minister

and wi th the concurrence of the Minister of Finance and Commerce,

has made the following regulations:-

I. (I) These regulations ma), be cited as the Telephone Service CI ... 1on oM

(Amendment) Regulations , 1997, and shall be read and construed as -,.......,mrn1,

one with the Telephone Service Regulat ions, 1972, hereinafier referred L.N,41 or l<m.

to as "the principal regulations".

(2 ) These regulations shall be deemed to have come into

force on the 2nd April, 1997.

( I) Dawn ir-regolamenti jistghu jissejhu r. Regolame nti n..InllMl

ta' 1·1 997 Ii jemendaw ir-Regolamcnti dwar is-Scrvi zz lat-Teleron, r .. _ .

u ghandhom jinq raw u jiftie hmu haga wahda mar-Regolamenti ta' " .l. . 1 ,.·1-1912.

1· 1972 dw ar is· Servizz tat-Te le fo n, hawn he kk i:i:jed 'it q uddiern

imsejha " ir-regolamenti princ ipali ".

(2) Dawn ir-regolamenti g hondhom jitqie su Ii bde w

isehhu fi t-2 ta' April, 1997.

For lhe purpose of the Value AddedTax Act. 1994, the charges

specified in these regulations shall not be deemed to be inclusive of

value added tax payable under the said Act. Value added tax shall be AOI XII or 1_.

billed over and above the said charges. as applicable.

For regulation 2 of the principal regulations there shall be S_il ....

.. , . I .. ;on 1 of ,1>0

subst ituted the following:-

poi""; ....

..... 1--.

2 . In these regulations, unless the con text otherwise

requires:-

"Abridged Dialling facility" means the facili ty to

store tel ephone numbers against an)' abbreviated code

as made available;

"access equipment" means the apparatus and access

linels installed at the su bscriber's premises to provide

intercommunication between the subscribe r's data

tenninal equipment(DTE)and the Digital Data Networlc:;

"access line" mea ns a physical pai r of lines

(work.ing or spare) connecting the apparatus at the

subscriber's premises to a Telemalta Corporation si te

for providing one or more point-to· point digital data

circuits

"additional servic.es~, with reference to the Packet

Switching Service, means optional user facilities wh ich

may be o ffered from lime to time by the Chai rman,

Telemalta Corporation, either on a contraclUal basis or

on a per call ba.~ i s

"agreement" means an agreement made by the

Chaimlan, Telemalta Corporation with any person for

th e provisio n of te lephone service under the se

regulations

"Alarm Calr' means Ihe facility whe reby an

uchange line is ealled au tomatically al a time specified

by the user of such exchange line

" Au to matic Call Transfer facility" means th e

facility enabling incoming calls on an exchange line or

a mobi le numbe r

"bit/s" or "bits per second" means the rate of lranSfer

of all infoml3lion , once it has been converted inlo binary

code

"call forward i ng ~ means call transfer from one

phone to anot he r

"call office" means a telephone service made

available by the Chainnan, Telemaha Corpot'lltion to th e

publi c for the purpose o f sending and receiving

telephonic messages and includes any building or part

ofa building housing such service

"Cal l TransferOn Busy" means the fac llilY enabling

incomi ng calls on a busy exchange line 10 be lransferred

to unother exc hange line

"Call Transfer On No Rc:ply" mc:ans 10 facility

whereby incoming calls on an (Xchangc: li ne receiving

no reply after a delerminc:d numb('r of seconds are

IransfelTed to anothc:r c:xc hange line

"Call Wait ing" means the faci lity whereby the uscr

of an exc hange line is alerted of a new incoming call

during telephonic con\'ersation by means of a signal

"cellular mobile system" means the cellular mob ile

telCCOlllmunlCaI ions sYStem operated by T eleeell Li mited

in Malta

"Chairman, Telcmalta Corporati on" includes any

offi!;:er of the Telemalta Corporation authorised by the

Chairm an, Telemalta Corporation to ad on his behalf

"Code Controlled Barring" means the fa!;: ility

whereby an cl(change li ne may , be means of a personal

subsc riber code, be barred from the possibility of

effecti ng calls via the use of a particular access facili ty

or combination of such facilities pre-selec ted by

su bscriber upon his application for the Code Controlled

Barring facili ty;

"coin-bol(" o r "coin-bOll telephone" means a

telephone fitted with coin-box equipment which req uires

users to place a sum of money in an appropriate coin

collecting box in payment of each call

"Conference Call" means the facil it y enabling the

establishment of a call between three separate te lephone

services, permitting simultaneous conversati on between

users of the three teleph one services or private

conversation between any twO of them at subscriber's

option;

"cordless telephone" means a telephone terminal

connected to an exchange line or an extension line and

integrated with or accompanied by a normal telephone

set; it consists of two pans which are connected by a

radio link: a fixed part and a portable part, permitting

the same basic functions as a nomal telephone set within

a li mited area around the fil(ed part;

"credit card-fax/ ph one" means telephon ic

equipment installed on an exchange line or ex tension

which requires uscn; of such equipment to inscrt in the

appropriate slot a recognised credit card for charging

purposes;

"Data Tenninal Equipment (DTE)". with reference

to the Digital Data Network. means the subscriber'S

equipment or apparatus connected 10 a point. to-point

digital data circuit;

"dedicated access". with reference to the Packet

Switchin g Service, means access to the Packet Switching

Network by means of a direct link;

"dial-up access", with reference to the Packet

Switching Service, means using a tele phone and Pu blic

Switched Telephone Network to gain access to the Packet

Switching Network

"Digital Data Network" means the transmission

equipment provided by Telemal1a Corporation, both at

the su bscriber's premises and at its own sites, used to

provide point-to-point digi tal data circuits;

" Digital Data Network (or DON) Half Circuit for

Frame Relay" means a point-ta-point digital dma circuit

connecting a subscriber' s premises to the Telemaltll

Corporation Frolme Relay Node

" Direct Dialling Inwards" or "DDI'- means thl;

fac ility whereby PABX extensions can be called directly

by a caller on a public exchange. without telephone

operator intervention. and includes services connected

therewi th

"disabled app licant" means a person suffering fro m

hearing. sight. voice or dexterity impairment

"Do Not Disturb" means the facility whereby

incoming calls to an exchange li ne are restricted to an

exchange recorded message;

"exchange line" means acircuit provided as pan of

an installation for the purpose of keeping that installation

in connection with a te lephone exchill1ge

"external extension" means an extension other than

an internal extension

" Frame Relay Node" means the switching

equipment by which Telemalta Corporation provides the

Fmme Relay Service

" Fmme Relay Service" means a managed . end-to-

end d:lla intercorillection service

"full digital da ta circuit" means a point-la-point

digital data circuit operating at the same speed from

one end point to the other and connecting premises, being

subscriber's premises

"half digi tal data circuit" means a point-to-poin t

digital data circui t operating at a ~peed of 64 Kbitls

connecting a subscriber's premises to Digital Dllla

Network equi pment at a Telemalta Corporation site for

the purpose of multiplelli ng dll ta signals onto another

point-to-point digital data circuit operating at a speed of

2 Mbitls connecting a Telemalta CorporatiOfl site to a

subsriber's premises

" Hot Line" mea ns the facilit), enabling the

al.ltomatic establishment of a connection wit h a pre-

determined stored telephone number if no digits are

dialled/pressed within a few seconds following lifting

of the handset

"house exchange system" means an installation

comprising a number of Slat ions each capable of being

telephonically connected with the othcrs or wi th an

exchange line by the operation of press buttons and

includes any special extension provided as pan thereof;

"instal lation " means equipment or apparatus

provided by the Chairman, Telemalta Corporation to a

subscriber as a meanS of telecommunication wholly or

in part through the mediu m of the publie te lephone

system or any other telecommunications network

operated by Telemalta Corporation, and includes any

subsidiary or relative equipment or apparatus

"internal extension" means an elltension connecting

poims in a self contained premises within the same

building or with in two or more separate buildings

connected together by means ora tunnel or other covered

means of access

"leased line" means a telecommunications facility

providing for transparent tnmsmission capacity between

network termination points. whic h facility does not

incl ude switching functions which the user can control

(on-demand switching) as part of the leased line

proVISIon;

"mobile numbe r" means a number dedicated to a

person subsribed 10 the cellular mobile system

"modem" means u device requ ired to conven the

signals from a terminal into a form which may be

transmitted or received across a speech quality line

"National Freephone Service" means the service

which enables a subscriber thereto be charged for calls

rece ived on a special telephone number via the local

Public Switched Telephone Network in lieu of tile perwn

making the calls

"octet" means 8 consecutive bits of user data, such

as character.

"packet" means a group of binary digits. including

data and call control signals. which is switched as a

composite whole, the data. call co ntrol signals and

possibly error co ntrol information being arranged In a

specified format;

" PAD" or ' Packet AssemblylDisassembly' means

an apparatus whose function is to permit non-packet

mode terminals to e:l:changc data in the packet mode;

"Permanent Virtual Circuit" or "PVC" means a

facility whereby a connection is established byTelemalta

Corporation between two subscribers' premises wh ich

are not necessarily physically interconnected . Such a

connection is established on a subscription basis. and

not percall;

"person" includes any body corporate and any body

of persons whether having a legal personality distinct

from that of its members or not;

"poinHo-point digi tal data circuit" means a fixed

point-to-point con nection for the purpose of mlrlSmil1ing

data signals over the Digital Data Network;

"private branch exchange" means switching

apparatus designed to provide intercommunication

between extensions connected with that apparatus and

between these extensions and e:l:ehange lines. but does

not incl ude a house exchange system;

"private manual branch exchange" means a private

branch exchange the whol e of which is ma nua ll y

operated

"public switched telephone network" or "public

telephone system" means the public telecommunications

system operated by Telemalta Corporation in Malta;

" rentals" means any charge in respec t of any

installation or leased linc, which is fixed by or under

these regulations or by agreement, as the case may be,

and which is payable periodically;

"segment" means the unit used for charging for thc

volume of information transmitted in II packet-switched

service, one segment being 0-64 octets of data;

"Star service" means any e:Hra facility which may

be provided on an exchang e line from among th e

followi ng: Abridged Dialling, Alarm Call . Automatic

Call Transfer, Call Transfe r On Busy, Call Transfer On

No Reply. Call Waiting , Code Controlled Barring.

Conference Call, Do Not Disturb and Hot Line;

"station", in relation to a house exchange system,

means a telephone capable of being connected with any

of the other telephones comprised in the system or with

an exchange line by the operation of press buttons;

"subscriber" means a person on whose application

the Chainnan. Telemalta COt'pOI'lItion provides telephone

service by means of an installa!ion under th ese

regulati ons or under an agreement

"subscriber'S premises" means nny premises in or

on which an installation or a part of an installation is

situated, being either premises in the possession,

occu pation or dire<:! control of the person who is the

subscriber in respect of the installation or of a person

for whose use the installation or pan thereof is provided

on the application of the subscriber, or premises

connected telephonically with such premises as aforesaid

by reason of an extension;

"tetteare unit" means a telephone alarm system

consisting of a special telephone set with a sensitive

mic rophone nnd loudspeaker, and a remote control

(pendant) with or wilhout an active cord. enabling direct

access to a specialised control centre

"te1efa)(" mcans a system of tclcphony whereby

facsi mile pagcs of documents may be transmitted directly

between the sender and the recipient;

"telcphoneexchangc" means switching equipment

or apparatus which forms part of the public telephone

system and includes Ihe building or vehicle housing such

equipment or apparatus;

"telephone service" means the enjoyment of means

of telephonic commu nication;

"tcrminal". with reference to the Packet Switching

Service, means a remote data input/output device that

can be connened to thc Pac kct Switching Network

'·X.2S··, with reference to the Packet Switching

Service, refers to a type of access capacity enabling

subscriber terminal equipment which is capable of

forming its own packets to interact directly with the

Packet Switching Network;

"X.25". with reference to the Packet Switching

Service, refcrs to a type of access capacity where

subscriber terminal equipment is only capable ofsending

and receiving chardClers and thcrefore requircs assistance

from a PAD in order to asscrnblo:: and disassemblc data

packets,",

4 . Immediately after th e Twelfth Schedule to the principal

regUlations, there shall be added the following new schedule

'THIRTEENTH SCHEDUL E

Chargt$ for Frame Rt/ay Servicts

Lm

InSlaliat ion charges

There shall be no installation charge

Annu al renlal c hargt'S

2. for the provision of a Permancnt

(a)

Virtual Circuit (PVC) ..... .... ........ ..........

(b) for the provision of a Digital Data

Network Half Circuit for Frame Relay (DDN

half ci rcuit), irH;: luding rela t ive access

equipmelll

Velo(:ita

64Kbitls digital half circuit proYISlon

SOO

256Kb itls digital half circuit proYision

2 Mbitls digital half circuit proYision

1050,

3. Temporary servic~ rental charges

For the provision of a temporary service for the duration of

less than one calendar month the~ shall be paid a fixed re ntal

charge equivalent to one month's rental charge per Digital

Data Half Circuit for Frame Relay and PVC, provided. For

the temporary service of the duration of one calendar month

and onc day or more, the stipulated almua] rental charges shall

be npplicabJe pro rala for the relat ive period of service:' .

if..-.. ~ J. c_

~ moJ.Dip;ni..- ... ~W; ....... ".,; ~ J. I'jaI" KaoaiI~ • f'oIt/iJIW iJ... h

~

I'I<wY

M .... '" n ............. ,. ... .0 ..... _ I'r ,-.I '" tV .......... _

Pritorlq 1'1",,"

I'fuz lOo; - !',/ct 20t

Minnufi h wara I-Tnax-j] Skeda Ii linsab ma r- re golamcnti lhe! ;,·T1etI .. ~ 1

principaJi ghand ha tid hol din l-iskeda gdida Ii gejja:-

-.~;

",.0<;"",.

" IT-TLElTAX -IL SKEDA

Drillijiet gllul Fram e Relay Ser vices

I . Orlttljlet IU' stallau.joni

Ma jkun hemm ebda drill ghall .islallazzjoni

2. Drlttljlet grlall-kera la' kull sena

(a) ghall -gholi la' Permanent Virtuul Circuit

(PVC) , ......... , .. .. - .............................. ............. .

(b) ghall-ghoti ta' Di1(it(.l1 Datu H(.IlfCircuit

f or Frame Rela)' (DDN half circuil). inklui kull taghm ir

la' dhul relattiv

Lm

Velocil3

ghOli la' 64Kbil/s (ligilUl half cireuil " .... .... . .

ghoti 13' 256Kbitls digilUl hall circuil ...... ..... .

1050 .

ghot i [a' 2Mbitls digim/ half circuil . ... .......... .

3. DriUijiet gball.kera gbal.ser"ln temporanju

Ghall-ghoti la' servizz [empornnju ghal i mien anqas minn xahar

kalcndarj u ghandu jithallas drilt fi ss ghall-kern Ii jkun ekwivalenti

daqs drin ghall .kera [a' xahar ghal kull Dlgitul Duta HallCircuit

lor Frame Relay u I' ve moghtija. Gha! servizz tcmporanju ghal imien

xahar kalendarju u jum wiehed jew ak[ar, id.driuijiel slipulali ghall-

kera la' kull sena ghand hom ikullu japplikaw pro ra/(I g hai-imien

relalliv la' servizz .".