Telegraph Act 1899

Telegraph Act 1899^[a]

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make further Provision for the Improvement of Telephonic Communication, and otherwise with respect to Telegraphs.
Citation	62 & 63 Vict. c. 38
Territorial extent	United Kingdom
Dates
Royal assent	9 August 1899
Commencement	9 August 1899[b]
Repealed	25 July 2003[c]
Other legislation
Amended by	Local Government Act 1933 Local Government (Scotland) Act 1947 Statute Law Revision Act 1950 Local Government Act 1972 Telecommunications Act 1984
Repealed by	Communications Act 2003
Status: Repealed
Text of statute as originally enacted
Revised text of statute as amended
Text of the Telegraph Act 1899 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.

The Telegraph Act 1899 was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that allowed urban district, borough and burgh councils to construct and operate telephone exchanges, on a similar basis to the then-usual municipal provision of other utilities.

Licences were granted to Glasgow, Belfast, Grantham, Huddersfield, Tunbridge Wells, Brighton, Chard, Portsmouth, Hull, Oldham, Swansea, Scarborough and West Hartlepool. Six of these licences were used to provide a telephone service:

• Glasgow (1901)
• Tunbridge Wells (1901)
• Swansea (1902)
• Portsmouth (1902)
• Brighton (1903)
• Hull (1904)

Of these, only the Hull service remains as an independent operation and is now known as KCOM.

Notes

1. Section 4.
2. The Acts of Parliament (Commencement) Act 1793.
3. The Communications Act 2003 (Commencement No. 1) Order 2003.

External links

• Text of the Telegraph Act 1899 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.
• Text of the Telegraph Act 1899 as originally enacted or made within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk.