Communications Authority press release
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The following is issued on behalf of the Communications Authority:
 
     This press release summarises the decision of the Communications Authority (CA) following its 118th meeting held in June 2022.
 
Suspension of Services-based Operator Licence of IDD1628 Limited
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     The CA announced today (June 14) its decision pursuant to section 34(4) of the Telecommunications Ordinance (Cap. 106) to suspend the Services-based Operator Licence (Licence No. 1321) (the Licence) of IDD1628 Limited (IDD1628) for breach of General Condition (GC) 5.1 and Special Conditions (SCs) 3.1 and 13.2 of the Licence.
 
     Between December 2020 and June 2021, the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) received 11 consumer complaints alleging that IDD1628 could not be reached through its customer service channels and failed to handle customers' requests for termination of its International Direct Dialling (IDD) services. Having considered OFCA's investigation and assessment, the CA decided on February 24, 2022, that IDD1628 had breached GC 5.1 of the Licence, which required it to provide a good and efficient service in a manner satisfactory to the CA, and a financial penalty of $70,000 should be imposed on IDD1628. IDD1628 failed to pay the financial penalty and respond to the CA within the deadlines as required.
 
     Subsequently, on March 24, 2022, IDD1628 was required to furnish information related to its business (including measures to rectify the breach of GC 5.1, the operational status of its IDD services, submission of the overdue statistics return on external telecommunications traffic and records relating to its telecommunications system) under SCs 3.1 and 13.2 of the Licence. However, IDD1628 failed to submit any information or respond to the CA within the deadlines as required.
 
     Having considered OFCA's further investigation and assessment, the CA considered that IDD1628 had been in continuous breach of GC 5.1 and in breach of SCs 3.1 and 13.2 of the Licence, and decided that the Licence should be suspended with immediate effect until its expiry date (i.e. November 30, 2022). For details, please refer to the Notice of Suspension of Licence published on the CA's website.
 
     According to the information available to OFCA, IDD1628 has ceased operation of IDD services since the first quarter of this year. Consumers are advised not to purchase or recharge any telecommunications services offered by IDD1628 with immediate effect.

Ends/Tuesday, June 14, 2022
Issued at HKT 16:15

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