Interpretation

In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires“authorized officer” means a qualified person designated by the PUC for the purposes of this Act; “broadcasting” means any form of unidirectional telecommunications, whether encrypted or not, for reception by the general public or a part of it, and includes– (a) any program capable of being received, or received and displayed, as visual images, whether moving or still; (b) any sound program for reception; (c) any program being a combination of both visual image (whether moving or still) and sound for reception or reception and display; 8 and “broadcast” shall be construed accordingly; “charging principles” means the principles that may be prescribed for use in determining the prices to be charged from or by a licensee under an interconnection agreement; “dominant operator” has the meaning assigned to it by section 42(3); “facility” means– (a) any part of the infrastructure of a telecommunication network; or (b) any line, cable, radio, equipment, antenna, tower, mast, tunnel, pit, pole or other structure or thing used, or intended for use in connection with a network; “frequency spectrum” means the continuous range of electromagnetic wave frequencies used for telecommunications; “intercept” means intercept by listening to or recording, by any means, a message passing over a telecommunication network without the knowledge of the person originating, sending or transmitting the message; “interconnection” means the linking up of two or more telecommunication networks so that users of either network may communicate with users of, or utilise services provided by means of, the other network or any other telecommunication network; “interconnection agreement” means an agreement made in accordance with section 22 between two or more licensees which sets out the terms and conditions, 9 (a) for interconnection between the facilities in the telecommunication networks of two or more licensees; or (b) upon which a licensee obtains interconnection to telecommunication services supplied by another licensee; “licence” means a licence issued or held pursuant to this Act; “licensee” means the holder of a licence; “member” means a member of the PUC and includes the Chairperson; “message” includes any communication whether in the form of speech, or other sound, data, text, visual image, signal or code, or in any other form or combination of forms; “Minister” means the Minister to whom responsibility for the subject of telecommunications is assigned; “network licensee” means a person who holds a licence to operate a telecommunication network; “numbering plan” means a written instrument that specifies the numbers that are for use in connection with the supply of telecommunications services in Belize; “number portability” means a feature that will permit customers to retain their telephone address and the address of any other telecommunication devices, regardless of which service provider they subscribe to or where they might relocate within fixed line exchanges; “officer” means a person appointed as such by the PUC pursuant to this Act; 10 “private operator” means a person who is the holder of a licence to operate telecommunication services, without interconnecting with a public telecommunications service provider, for the purposes of satisfying his own internal telecommunications needs; “public operator” means a licensee who operates a public tele- network, including a mobile telecommunication network; “public telecommunication network” means a network over or through which a telecommunication service is offered to the “public mobile telecommunication network” means a public telecommunication network– (a) in which the service can be used by a person while moving continuously between places; and (b) in which the customer equipment used for the service is not in physical contact with any part of the telecommunication network through which the service is supplied; “PUC” means the Public Utilities Commission established by the Public Utilities Commission Act; CAP. 223. “radio apparatus” means any apparatus or installation intended for the purpose of effecting radio communication, whether by transmission or reception, or both, but excludes any ordinary broadcast television and radio receiver; “radio communication” means any transmission, emission, or reception of signs, signals, writings, sounds or intelligence of any nature, of a frequency less than 3000 gigahertz, propagated in space without artificial guide; 11 “rate” has the meaning given to it in section 2 of the Public Utilities Commission Act; CAP. 223. “resale” means an activity whereby a person obtains a service at a discount or wholesale price and then resells that service to his own customers at a profit; “tariff” means a document indicating the rate of any fee or charge which a public operator intends to claim for a telecommunication service which it supplies; “telecommunication” means the transmission, emission or reception of signs, signals, writings, images and sounds or intelligence of any nature by wire, radio, optical or other electromagnetic systems; “telecommunication installation” or “installation” means a line or any equipment, apparatus, structure, tower, antenna, tunnel, manhole, pit or hole used, or intended to be used, in connection with a telecommunication service; “telecommunication message” means– (a) a material record of a communication or information sent or delivered to a licensee for transmission or transmitted through telecommunication installations established by the licensee to provide telecommunication services; or (b) a material record issued by a licensee as a record of a communication or information transmitted over such telecommunication installations; “telecommunication network” means a system, or a series of systems, operating within such boundaries as may be prescribed, for the transmission or reception of messages by means of guided or unguided electromagnetic energy or both, to supply 12 telecommunication services between places within Belize or between places within Belize and places outside Belize; (a) means a service for carrying a message by means of guided or unguided electromagnetic energy or both or a value-added service using similar means; (b) subject to paragraph (c), includes radio (c) does not include broadcasting; “universal service” means a telecommunication service determined by the PUC as being a service to be provided by the licensee to an area, to areas, or sector not served or adequately served by the telecommunication service; “universal service obligation” means any contribution payable by a licensee in respect of a universal service; “value-added services” means– (a) the manipulation of the format, content, code, protocol, or other aspect of information transmitted via telecommunications by a subscriber; (b) the provision of information to a subscriber, including the restructuring of information transmitted by a subscriber; or (c) the offering of stored information for interaction by a subscriber. 13 Act. CAP. 223.