Networks
********************************************************
The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) today (September 29) released the latest figures about the network roll-out of the local fixed telecommunications network operators. The number of households covered by at least two self-built customer access networks increased to 71% of the total households in Hong Kong, from the figure of 69% published in March, 2005.
OFTA also published the third updated list of buildings that are connected by at least two self-built customer access networks for public information.
A spokesperson for OFTA said that out of the 71% of coverage, 43% of the households (a total of 2,761 residential buildings) had a choice of at least three customer access networks and 28% of the households (a total of 5,077 residential buildings) had a choice of two customer access networks.
¡§Since the announcement of the new Type II interconnection policy in July, 2004, the fixed network operators have been actively rolling out their self-built customer access networks to provide choices and services to the end customers," the spokesperson said. "In addition to the incumbent PCCW-HKT Telephone Limited, the other five local fixed operators - Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited, Hong Kong Cable Television Limited, Hutchison Global Communications Limited, New World Telecommunications Limited and Wharf T&T Limited - have together achieved a household coverage of 71%.
¡§The total number of households connected by at least two self-built customer access networks increased by 6% over the past six months, while the percentage of households covered during the same period only moderately increased from 69% to 71%. It is because of an updating of the total number of households in Hong Kong in the calculation of the percentage. On the other hand, the number of buildings connected by at least two self-built customer access networks also increased from 6,430 to 7,838 (an increase of 22%),¡¨ the spokesperson explained.
Mandatory Type II interconnection will be withdrawn in the buildings included in the building list after a two-year transitional period and a one-year ¡§grandfather¡¨ period, starting from the published date of the buildings.
The latest building list can be downloaded from OFTA's website at: www.ofta.gov.hk.
Type II interconnection is interconnection of the network of a fixed telecommunications operator to the network of another fixed telecommunications operator at the customer access level, which runs from local telephone exchanges of the network to customers¡¦ premises.
The Government announced on July 6, 2004, that Type II interconnection at telephone exchange level would be withdrawn to promote investment and consumer choice in high bandwidth customer access networks. The withdrawal will be fully implemented across the territory by June 30, 2008, except for buildings meeting the ¡§essential facilities¡¨ criterion. In the run-up to this date, the withdrawal will be implemented in an orderly manner on a building-by-building basis and will apply to buildings already connected to at least two self-built customer access networks meeting prescribed criteria.
During the two-year transitional period after the inclusion of a building on the building list, Type II interconnection as a regulated arrangement will continue to be available to local fixed operators for connecting new customers in that building. During the subsequent one-year ¡§grandfather¡¨ period, Type II interconnection as a regulated arrangement will continue to be available in that building to customers already connected before the end of the transitional period.
Ends/Thursday, September 29, 2005
Issued at HKT 17:30
NNNN
