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Hong Kong: Experts clash with telco regs on ‘double standard’

By  |  November 17, 2013

Politicians and economists slammed Hong Kong’s Communications Authority for what it saw as a double standard in the way the regulator promotes competition in the mobile phone market and the free-television market.

Reports say the Authority declined to allow a third free-television license last month on the argument that a third competitor would harm the market. But the Authority also announced late last week that it plans to acquire one-third of 3G wireless spectrum from the city’s top three competitors and put it up for auction for a fourth market entrant.

According to reports, the Commerce and Economic Development Bureau criticized the communications regulator for applying different regulations to the markets.

Some officials, however, defended the plans for the 3G spectrum and claimed that licensing for television and 3G spectrum were different exercises that should be treated independently.

Full Content: South China Morning Post

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