HK Amends Telecommunications Bill for 3G Mobile ServiceThe government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) Wednesday announced that the Telecommunications (Amendment) Bill 2001, which makes amendments to the Telecommunications Ordinance, will be gazetted this Friday."The purpose of the amendments is to clarify the powers of the Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting and the Telecommunications Authority for conducting auctions or tenders for the use of spectrum," said a spokesman for the Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau. "Such clarification is necessary for the licensing of Third Generation Mobile Services (3G) and future exercises involving auctions or tenders," the spokesman explained. "Because it will be the first time that licenses are allocated according to a hybrid method involving pre-qualification and spectrum auction, and taking into account the experience of European auctions, the government proposes some technical amendments to the Telecommunications Ordinance to give firm legal backing to the proposed hybrid method," the spokesman said. The hybrid method for the allocation of 3G licenses was proposed in the second consultation exercise on 3G licensing in October 2000. The method was generally accepted by the industry and the public. "Notwithstanding the tight schedule we are working on, we aim to invite applications for 3G licenses upon the enactment of the legislation and issue licenses by mid-2001," the spokesman said. The government will introduce the Bill to the Legislative Council on February 14. |
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