Consultation for amendments to telecommunications law set to launch this month

Derby Lau

The Macao Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT) is expected to begin the Telecommunications Law consultation later this month, CTT Director Derby Lau announced yesterday.

This comes after Secretary for Transport and Public Works, Raymond Tam, recently stated that the government is actively advancing legislative work on the bill.

During a recent Legislative Assembly (AL) debate on the policy direction for the transport and public works sector, Tam said that the relevant bill text has been finalized, and industry consultations will begin shortly, with the aim of submitting it to the Legislative Assembly for deliberation next year.

In response to media inquiries yesterday, Lau stated that the consultation on the Telecommunications Law has not yet begun but is expected to start within the month. She added that the consultation period will last one month, during which the industry will be notified and an explanatory session held.

These remarks align with Tam’s statement during Monday’s Legislative Assembly session, where he acknowledged that the government is aware of the industry’s expectations and will fully consider them in the legislative work on the Telecommunications Law.

Meanwhile, when asked about the convergence licensing framework, the director noted that the upcoming Telecommunications Law will introduce changes related to this system.

She explained that current telecommunications licenses are issued under various administrative regulations, while the amended Telecommunications Law will implement an application-based system, allowing local telecommunications companies to offer a combination of services – such as internet, television, and telephone – under a single license through open bidding.