DSRT to decide MTel Internet license this year

Servers and network cables

The deputy director of the Bureau of Telecommunications Regulation (DSRT), Hoi Chi Leong, revealed yesterday that the bureau is reviewing the application documents submitted by the new landline operator MTel for a license to provide Internet services, and will strive to make a decision before the end of this year.
“[The approval of the license] depends on our analysis of whether [MTel] meets the criteria. We will finish the review as soon as possible. If it meets the criteria, we will strive to make a decision within this year,” said Hoi.
The DSRT deputy director also said that the government had previously issued Internet service provider licenses to different companies. However, only CTM could provide the infrastructure, meaning that other providers had to use CTM’s infrastructure. He believes that with the new competitor entering the market, it will further enlarge the market and contribute to a more intense competition.
Moreover, after reviewing the proposed price range submitted by MTel, Hoi estimated that MTel’s charges for a leased line service will be 10 to 20 percent lower than the current market price.
MTel CEO Michael Choi indicated on Tuesday that their network has always covered more than 33 percent of the buildings in Macau, and has thus met the minimum requirements of the contract with the government. He hopes that MTel can commence operations before December 3.
According to the contract, MTel has to cover 70 percent of the region’s buildings with its network in 2016 and 99 percent before the end of 2018.