The Commerce, Industry & Technology Bureau has launched a consultation on the setting up of the Communications Authority as a unified regulator for the electronic communications sector. Deadline for submission of views is June 2.

The existing statutory powers and functions of the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Authorities will be transferred to the new body, which will be responsible for enforcing the Telecommunications and Broadcasting Ordinances.

Announcing the proposal at a luncheon today, Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology Joseph Wong said technological convergence has been blurring the boundary between telecommunications, broadcasting and information technology.

"It is only natural that convergence at the technological and market levels be matched by restructuring at the regulatory level," he said.

International trend

Mr Wong said this has been the international trend, from the Federal Communications Commission in the US and the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission in Canada, to the more recent establishment of the Office of Communications in the UK and the Australian Communications & Media Authority.

"As Hong Kong is in the forefront of convergence, there is an urgent need to establish a unified regulator to enhance regulatory efficiency and further promote consumer benefits," he said.

Having studied at length the overseas experience, the bureau suggested adopting a staged approach in rationalising the regulatory regime.

First, the body will be set up by merging the two authorities. Next, the new unified regulator will participate in reviewing and rationalising the two ordinances with the Government, with special attention to provisions related to competition and strengthening the protection of consumer interest.

Mr Wong said this approach will enable the Government to set up the unified regulator as soon as possible to meet the challenge of convergence.

The new authority will comprise seven members - a non-official chairman, four non-official members, one official member and the Director-General of the executive department as the ex-officio member.

The bureau also proposed to merge the Office of the Telecommunications Authority and the Broadcasting Division of the Television & Entertainment Licensing Authority to form the Office of the Communications Authority as the executive arm of the new authority.

The new department will be operating as a trading fund and there will not be forced staff redundancy arising from the merger.

Subject to the outcome of the consultation, the bureau plans to introduce the necessary legislation on the establishment of the new unified regulator into the Legislative Council by year's end.

The consultation document can be downloaded here. All comments should be sent to the bureau's Communications & Technology Branch, 2/F Murray Building, Garden Road, Hong Kong, by faxing 2511 1458 or emailing kevinchoi@citb.gov.hk.