ABSTRACT
Telecommunications legislation in the UK has a long pedigree, with antecedents in the 19th century. The British Government has long been keen to control the means by which its subjects communicate. The Telecommunications Act 1984 was enacted in the wake of the privatisation of the public corporation British Telecom and as part of the move to a more competitive market. Temporary amendments were made to the Code in 2013 as part of the Growth and Infrastructure Act. These amendments were not primarily intended to reform the Code, but were designed to promote economic growth by speeding up the deployment of broadband infrastructure. In early 2015, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport indicated that they were intending to reform the Code in line with the Law Commission's recommendations. The Minister of State at the Department for Transport told the Public Bill Committee on 15 January 2015 that the amendments were designed to reform and update the Code.
