The Telecommunication Ordinance bill was passed in the Executive Council today (15 June) and will be submitted to the Legislative Assembly shortly.

The spokesman of the Executive Council, Tong Chi-kin, said that the opening of telecommunication market had made it necessary to set up telecommunication laws.

The Telecommunication Ordinance includes the policies on telecommunication, the category of the telecommunication nets, the condition and obligation of the operators, the rights of the users, the competence of the Government, etc.

Meanwhile, Ao Man-long, Secretary for Transport and Public Work, disclosed on 11 June that the Government had set the interconnection charge at 0.08 patacas per minute. The two new mobile service providers and CTM had failed to come to a consensus concerning the charges to use the stationed telephone network of CTM after months of discussions.

The two Hong Kong based providers granted the license for mobile services, Smartone and Hutchison, are expected to start the service at the end of August.