4G LICENCE WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED FIRST QUARTER

2014/11/20

From:Macau Business Daily

The Telecommunications Regulation Bureau (DSRT) accepted the six bids for 4G wireless services yesterday. However, bids from China Telecom and Hutchinson were only accepted on condition they provide extra information throughout today.

All six bids to provide 4G wireless services in Macau were accepted yesterday by the Telecommunications Regulation Bureau (DSRT). However, the bids by China Telecom (Macau) Limitada and Hutchinson – Telefone (Macau) Limitada were accepted on condition the companies provide additional information within 24 hours.
“This is a detail related to a document of identification which we will solve tomorrow [today] without any problem”, the Assistant General Manager of China Telecom (Macau) Limitada, Samuel Chan, explained. “We are the largest provider of 4G [services] in China and we’re very confident that we’re going to get one licence”.
Hutchinson – Telefone (Macau)’s bid was accepted after an hour-long closed meeting to assess it. The problem was caused by a document related to the fees to be paid.
“There were some discrepancies with some documents but we will solve it tomorrow [today]. We have been operating in Macau for some years now and so I don´t think it will be a problem”, Windus Lam, Chief Operating Officer for Hutchinson in Macau, told Business Daily. “We’re very confident with our bid as we’re experienced in Macau, and a worldwide player”.
The bids from Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau S.A.R.L. (CTM), Smartone – Comunicações Móveis S.A., China Mobile Hong Kong Company Limited and U Hong Comunicações Limitada were accepted unreservedly.
However, before the end of the meeting for the opening of the bids at the DSRT office, some questions were raised, as the companies wanted to have access to other bids. In the end, they were told that they could access the documents hours later and all was resolved.
All the representatives of the bids told the press that they were confident of being awarded a licence. However, only four of the six companies that bid for the tender will be allowed to run 4G wireless services in Macau.
“We’re going to do our very best for the final result of the tender to be known during the first quarter of next year. As for the 4G wireless service, it is supposed to be available for the citizens of Macau by the end of the year”, Hoi Chi Leong, Vice-Director of DSRT, said. “They will have to cover 50 percent of the territory when they start operating but that will not be an issue. Otherwise they wouldn’t have presented their bids”, he added when queried.

Cartel accusations

Hoi Chi Leong also commented on the fact that the telecommunication companies in Macau are being accused of cartel-like behaviour as they intend to end their mobile plans for unlimited access to the Internet.
“We will follow this situation closely but we haven´t received complaints yet. So far, no such cases have been detected”, the Vice-Director of DSRT said.
The accusations of being a cartel by Macau New Association were also denied by Declan Leong, CTM´s Vice President of Network Services.
“We’re in a competitive market and we’re separate companies. Our offer to the market depends on market requirements and from times to time we have to adjust our plans. There have been no conversations with other companies on such issues. This is a competitive market”, he told Business Daily.

Copyright@Macau Business Daily