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The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) announced today (January 24) that the do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages would start to accept registration from prefix-2 and prefix-3 numbers tomorrow (January 25).
This is the third and also the last do-not-call register to be launched since the full commencement of the Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (UEMO) on December 22, 2007. The two do-not-call registers for fax and for short messages were launched on December 22, 2007, and January 8, 2008, respectively.
¡§The public can register their prefix-2 and prefix-3 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,¡¨ a spokesperson for OFTA said.
¡§There is no deadline for registration. The public can register their prefix-2 and prefix-3 numbers onto the do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages on any day at any time (except 23.00-24.00 each day when the database undergoes updating) from January 25, 2008 onwards,¡¨ the spokesperson elaborated.
¡§The do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages will start to accept registration from prefix-6 and prefix-9 numbers from February 12, 2008, and March 4, 2008, respectively. The phased commencement of registration is to ensure that the register will operate smoothly during the initial stage of launching,¡¨ the spokesperson explained.
For numbers registered onto the do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages on or before March 25, 2008, the protection under the UEMO will commence on April 7, 2008, irrespective of the prefix of the registered number. For numbers registered on or after March 26, 2008, the protection will start on the 10th working day after the registration date. The public may check the registration date of their numbers at www.dnc.gov.hk. From March 26, 2008, onwards, the registration date of numbers listed on the do-not-call register for pre-recorded telephone messages can also be checked by calling the registration hotline 1835000.
¡§The other two registers have been operating smoothly since they were launched. Up to yesterday (January 23), 31,299 numbers have been registered onto the do-not-call register for fax and 45,987 numbers onto the register for short messages. There is no deadline for registration and the public can continue to register their numbers onto the two registers by calling the registration hotline 1835002 for fax and 1835001 for short messages,¡¨ the spokesperson said.
For more information about the three do-not-call registers and the UEMO, please visit OFTA¡¦s website at (www.ofta.gov.hk/en/uem/main.html). The public 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 subscription account of 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/Thursday, January 24, 2008
Issued at HKT 12:57
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