Office of Communications Authority clarifies issue on TV licence

Unified carrier licence is no exemption.

According to a release, holding a unified carrier licence under the Telecommunications Ordinance does not exempt a company from having to comply with licensing requirements under the Broadcasting Ordinance.

The Office of the Communications Authority issued the statement in response to media enquiries today, saying a person cannot provide a broadcasting service without a licence granted according to the Broadcasting Ordinance.

The regulatory regime is to regulate the content of broadcasts to televisions fixed in premises to protect children and teenagers.

The authority said no person in Hong Kong can offer a telecommunications service without a licence under the Telecommunications Ordinance.

However, the possibility of the television signals of a domestic free television broadcaster being received by portable devices does not mean that the broadcaster should necessarily be treated as offering mobile TV services, it added.