And this one was never likely to be.
If your mobile phone can display live TV does it require a licence fee to be held by the owner of the device? The current legislation covers any person’s devices which can run off an internal battery so if you have a TV-able mobile your home TV Licence will cover you. But what if you don’t have one? Well you could choose not to use your mobile to watch TV, but that’s not enough!
The excuse “I don’t use the TV” is not acceptable — possession of a device capable of receiving the broadcast signal requires a TV Licence. So if a mobile telephone can pick up TV you’re liable to purchase a Licence whether you watch TV on it or not.
When I had this thought the other day I thought that it must have been thought about before but not knowing the legislation… well now I do!
February 17th, 2006 at 12:32 pm
Actually, the definition is “apparatus installed or used for the purpose of receiving (whether by means of wireless telegraphy or otherwise) any television programme service”, not simply capability, so the legal status of phones with TV capabilities that aren’t used is a bit fuzzy.
IANAL, &c
February 17th, 2006 at 4:32 pm
Thanks for the clarification.