Reforms to the UK’s Electronic Communications Code (the
“Code”) came into effect on 28 December 2017. The
reforms include a range of measures to make it easier for network
operators to rollout infrastructure (e.g., phone masts, exchanges
and cabinets) on public and private land.
The government introduced the reforms to the Code in the Digital
Economy Act 2017, which repealed the previous version of the Code
and replaced it with a new version of the Code contained in
Schedule 3A to the Communications Act 2003.1
The Code is designed to facilitate the installation and
maintenance of electronic communications networks. It confers
rights on operators, who have been granted “Code
Powers”,2 for the purposes of providing that
operator’s network or providing an infrastructure system.
Operators with Code Powers may:
