The Communications Act 2003 (c.21) is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It gave regulation body Ofcom its full powers. Among other measures, it introduced legal recognition of Community Radio and paved the way for full-time Community Radio services in the UK, and more controversially lifted many restrictions on cross-media ownership. It also made it illegal to use other people's wifi broadband connections without their permission.^[1]

The legislation also allowed for the first time non-European entities to wholly own a British television company.^[2][3]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Official text of the Communications Act 2003 as amended and in force today within the United Kingdom, from the UK Statute Law Database
• The Communications Act 2003, as originally enacted, from the Office of Public Sector Information.
• Communications Act 2003: website created by the Department of Trade and Industry to explain the act
• Wireless hijacking under scrutiny: "A recent court case, which saw a West London man fined £500 and sentenced to 12 months' conditional discharge for hijacking a wireless broadband connection, has repercussions for almost every user of wi-fi networks. ... Gaining unauthorised access to a computer is an offence covered by the Computer Misuse Act. In Straszkiewcz's case, he was prosecuted under the Communications Act and found guilty of dishonestly obtaining an electronic communications service."

v • d • e United Kingdom legislation Acts of Parliament by states preceding the Kingdom of Great Britain Acts of Parliament of England to 1601 · 1603–1641 · Interregnum (1642–1660) · 1660–1699 · 1700–1706 Acts of Parliament of Scotland Acts of the Parliament of Ireland to 1700 · 1701–1800 Acts of Parliament of the Kingdom of Great Britain 1707–1719 · 1720–1739 · 1740–1759 · 1760–1779 · 1780–1800 Acts of Parliament of The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1801–1819 · 1820–1839 · 1840–1859 · 1860–1879 · 1880–1899 · 1900–1919 · 1920–1939 · 1940–1959 · 1960–1979 · 1980–1999 · 2000 to date Church of England Measures List · Church of England Assembly (Powers) Act 1919 Legislation of Devolved institutions Acts of the Northern Ireland Assembly · Northern Ireland Parliament · Scottish Parliament Measures of the Welsh Assembly Orders in Council for Northern Ireland Secondary legislation United Kingdom Statutory Instruments · Scottish Statutory Instruments · Act of Sederunt

This legislation article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v • d • e