China Bans Illegal Cable Construction

The Ministry of Information Industry (MII) and the State Development Planning Commission (SDPC) jointly issued a circular Thursday, urging an immediate ban on ongoing illegal cable construction projects in China.

Departments and enterprises with long-distance cable resources that had embarked on cable construction without the state approval must immediately stop working and report to the MII or the SDPC within 30 days from the issuance date of the circular.

Before China enters the World Trade Organization (WTO), no organization or individual from foreign countries, and those from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, are allowed to invest in the mainland 's cable construction projects, the circular reiterates.

To restore the order of the telecommunications market, the two departments plan to grant rental and sales permits to cable operation firms.

The circular came amid a recent disorder on the cable construction market, with a number of enterprises starting to build long distance cable networks without state approval.

People's Daily Online --- http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/