************************************************************
The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) announced today (February 11) that the do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages would accept registrations from prefix-6 numbers from tomorrow (February 12).
A spokesman for OFTA said, "People can register their prefix-6 numbers onto the do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages by calling the registration hotline 1835000 using the phone of the number they intend to register."
"There is no deadline for registration. People can register their prefix-6 numbers onto the do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages on any day at any time (except 11pm-midnight each day when the database undergoes updating)," the spokesman said.
"The do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages was first launched on January 25 and accepted registration from prefix-2 and prefix-3 numbers in the first stage. As at today, 22,579 numbers have already been registered. Users of prefix-9 numbers can register their numbers onto this register from March 4," he said.
For numbers registered onto the do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages on or before March 25, the protection under the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (UEMO) will begin on April 7, irrespective of the prefix of the registered number. For numbers registered on or after March 26, the protection will start on the 10th working day after the registration date. People can check the registration date of their numbers by calling the registration hotline 1835000 or visiting the website at http://www.dnc.gov.hk.
"The other two registers have been operating smoothly since they were launched. Up to February 10, 37,564 numbers have been registered onto the do-not-call register for fax and 57,156 numbers onto the register for short messages. There is no deadline for registration and people can continue to register their numbers on the two registers by calling the registration hotline 1835002 for fax and 1835001 for short messages," the spokesman said.
For more information about the three do-not-call registers and the UEMO, please visit OFTA's website at http://www.ofta.gov.hk/en/uem/main.html. People may also call the public enquiry hotline for the do-not-call registers at 2180 6868 (operating from 8am to 10pm daily). Senders of commercial electronic messages who wish to know more about the application for a subscription account for downloading the do-not-call registers may call another hotline at 2806 6778 (operating from 9am to 6pm on Monday to Friday except public holidays).
Ends/Monday, February 11, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:37
NNNN
