The annual licence fee for mobile stations under Public Radiocommunications Service Licences, Mobile Carrier Licences, and Public Non-exclusive Telecommunications Service Licences may be cut from $20 to $18 from May 1.

The Commerce, Industry & Technology Bureau said the proposed reduction will reflect the lowered unit cost of administering these licences as a result of the increase in the number of mobile stations.

The number of mobile phone subscribers, including activated prepaid SIM cards, rose from 6.5 million in December 2003, to 7.1 million last October.

All 2G and 3G mobile operators, together with trunked radio, radiolocation service, mobile data service, and mobile virtual network operators, and paging companies, will benefit from the reduction.

Opinion sought

A consultation paper has been issued to invite views from the industry and the public on the proposal.

Copies of the consultation paper are now available at the bureau's offices and the Office of the Telecommunications Authority. They can also be downloaded from their websites.