Telecommunication Law

Abstract

Telecommunication law is a broad complex of legal rules, the aim of which is to regulate telecommunication services—the conveyance of signals by means of telecommunication networks; it also covers satellite and space research services. The utmost purpose of these norms is to enable an interference-free transmission of signals, both on a domestic and an international scale. Telecommunication law is composed of three levels of regulations: international, regional, and domestic. The international regulation is performed traditionally by states organized in the International Telecommunication Union on the basis of the ITU Constitution, Convention, and Radio Regulations; trade aspects of telecommunications are regulated by the World Trade Organization. There are several regional cooperation structures dealing with telecommunications; the telecommunication framework of the European Union can serve as an example of a highly harmonized regional regulation based on the Electronic Communication Code. Domestic telecommunication laws are adopted by sovereign states; however, the international rules and regional regulations influence their content and structure. These legal mechanisms are very useful regulatory frameworks that guarantee that telecommunication signals are conveyed to their consumers without administrative and factual obstacles. They have functioned for decades on a pragmatic basis driven mostly by technical and economic needs.