# The Radio Equipment and Telecommunications Terminal Equipment Regulations 2000, Regulation 7: The right to connect

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(1) Operators of public telecommunications networks
(a) shall connect or permit the connection, at an interface, of any telecommunications terminal equipment which meets the requirements of regulation 4 or is equipment which was placed on the market before 8th April 2001 and complied with the provisions of Directive 98/13/EC, the Telecommunication Terminal Equipment Regulations 1992 or section 22 or 84 of the Telecommunications Act 1984;
(b) shall not discontinue such connection lawfully made of any such equipment.
(2) No apparatus is required under sub-paragraphs (1)(a) and (b) or otherwise to be, or to be permitted to be, connected or kept connected if that apparatus
(a) met the requirements of regulation 4 at the time when the connection was made but no longer does so;
(b) was placed on the market before 8th April 2001 and complied with the provisions of Directive 98/13/EC, the Telecommunication Terminal Equipment Regulations 1992 or section 22 or 84 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 at the time when the connection was made but no longer does so;
(c) causes serious damage to a network or harmful radio interference or harm to the network or its functioning; and the operator may refuse connection of that apparatus, disconnect that apparatus or withdraw that apparatus from service provided the operator at the earliest practical opportunity informs the Secretary of State and the Director of its action; or
(d) is, in case of emergency, required to be disconnected to protect the network, provided that
(i) the user may be offered, without delay and without costs, an alternative solution; and
(ii) the operator immediately informs the Secretary of State and the Director.
(3) In any case in which a public telecommunications operator
(a) refuses connection of apparatus declared to be compliant with the provisions of the Directive; or
(b) disconnects such apparatus; or
(c) withdraws it from service
the Secretary of State and the Director may, if they are of the opinion that the apparatus would not cause serious damage to a network or harmful interference or harm to the network or its functioning, require the operator to provide connection, reconnect the apparatus or restore it to service (as the case may be).

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2000/730/regulation/7 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/radio-equipment-and-telecommunications-terminal-equipment-regulations-2000/regulation-7
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.