{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/electronic-communications-universal-service-costs-regulations-2020/note",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/electronic-communications-universal-service-costs-regulations-2020/note.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/2020/545",
  "legislation_title": "The Electronic Communications (Universal Service) (Costs) Regulations 2020",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/electronic-communications-universal-service-costs-regulations-2020",
  "path": "note",
  "kind": "note",
  "number": null,
  "heading": "Explanatory note",
  "text": "(This note is not part of the Regulations)\nThese Regulations set out the rules and procedures which the Office of Communications (“OFCOM”) will follow when assessing the extent of the financial burden associated with the provision of a universal service and, where appropriate, compensating a universal service provider for those costs in exercise of their powers under sections 70 and 71 of the Communications Act 2003 (c.21) (the “Act”).\nRegulation 3 sets out the matters and information that OFCOM will have regard to when assessing the financial burden associated with the provision of a universal service.\nRegulation 5 sets out the matters and information that OFCOM will have regard to when determining whether and, if so, to what extent, it would be unfair for a universal service provider to bear the financial burden associated with the provision of a universal service.\nRegulation 7 specifies how and when OFCOM must calculate the amount of an unfair financial burden in respect of which a universal service provider is to be compensated. Compensation is by means of contributions from other communications providers. Regulation 8 sets out the circumstances in which OFCOM is to put in place an administrative arrangement for so compensating a universal service provider.\nRegulations 9 and 10 set out when and how OFCOM may determine the proportions in which contributors are to contribute.\nRegulation 12 sets out the process OFCOM will follow when making determinations on the matters referred to in regulations 3(1), 5(1), 7(1), 9(a), 9(b), 9(c) and 10(1).\nRegulation 13 provides that OFCOM will send invoices to each person required to contribute towards the sum to be provided to the universal service provider by way of compensation, obliges the recipients of such invoices to make payment as specified in the invoice and specifies that OFCOM may recover unpaid sums as a debt. Regulation 13 also permits OFCOM to allow a person to pay the amount invoiced in instalments.\nRegulation 15 relates to the provision of additional contributions in circumstances in which one or more persons in receipt of an invoice have not paid the sum due.\nRegulation 16 sets out that the universal service provider may waive its entitlement to compensation for a financial burden associated with the provision of a universal service.\nRegulation 17 sets out the circumstances and means by which OFCOM may cease to take steps to collect and distribute contributions to a particular unfair financial burden.\nA full regulatory impact assessment of the effect that these Regulations will have on cost to business is available to the public from OFCOM’s website at http://www.ofcom.org.uk or from the OFCOM library at Riverside House, 2a Southwark Bridge Road, London SE1 9HA. Copies of this assessment have also been placed in the library of the House of Commons.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2020/545/note",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T22:29:59.988031+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}