This press release summarises the Communications Authority (“CA”)’s decisions following its 67th meeting held in September 2017:
Issue of a Code of Practice on the Cessation Arrangements for Mobile Virtual Network Operator (“MVNO”) Services
Taking into account views and comments received from the industry and relevant stakeholders, the CA approved the issue of a Code of Practice on the Cessation Arrangements for MVNO Services (“CoP”) to provide practical guidance to the licensees in the event of cessation of MVNO services in order to better protect consumer interest.
The CoP sets out the requirements to ensure that MVNOs and their hosting mobile network operators should manage the service cessation arrangements in a better co-ordinated manner and that a reasonable advance notice, namely, at least one calendar week for local services and at least one calendar day for international services, will be given to the affected service subscribers and the general public before any service cessation by a MVNO. This will enable affected service subscribers to make timely arrangements to reduce the adverse impacts caused by the service cessation.
The CoP shall be observed and complied by all MVNOs and their hosting mobile network operators as part of their licensing obligations. In order to safeguard the MVNOs’ commitment to comply with the CoP, MVNOs will be imposed a performance bond requirement by the CA to secure the payment of any financial penalty due to any contravention of licence obligation on compliance with the CoP.
The CoP is published on the CA’s website and will be brought into effect one month from the date of the issue, i.e. on 28 October 2017.
Broadcast Complaint
The CA considered a complaint case against the radio programme “Made In Hong Kong” (Made In Hong Kong 李志剛) broadcast on the Radio 2 Channel of Radio Television Hong Kong (“RTHK”) on 3 May 2017. The CA decided that RTHK should be strongly advised to observe more closely the relevant provision in the Radio Code of Practice on Programme Standards. Details of the case are at Appendix.
Communications Authority
Secretariat
28 September 2017