Participation in International and Regional Conferences

OFCA takes an active part in the activities of, and maintains close contact with, a number of international and regional organisations, particularly by participating in relevant telecommunications conferences and fora around the world.

In 2012/13, we attended a total of 19 conferences/meetings organised by regional and international organisations, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT) and the International Institute of Communications (IIC). These events included the World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly, the World Conference on International Telecommunications and the 12th Global Symposium for Regulators of the ITU. We will continue to participate in the activities of the APEC Telecommunications and Information Working Group (APEC TEL) and APT with the aim of improving the telecommunications and information infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region.

Exchanges with Authorities in the Mainland and Overseas Administrations

In 2012/13, we received four delegations from different parts of the world that came to exchange views and experiences on various issues relating to communications services. These included delegations from the Ministry of Culture of Denmark, the Media Development Authority of Singapore, the Ministry of Communications of Israel, and the Communications Regulatory Commission of Mongolia.

During the year, we held annual bilateral meetings with the Infocomm Development Authority of Singapore, the Bureau of Telecommunication Regulations of Macau, and the Guangdong Communications Administration. Courtesy visits were also paid to the State Administration of Radio, Film and Television and Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Media and Community Relations

We always take an active role in keeping the public informed of our work. In 2012/13, we issued 36 press releases, 21 of which concerned major decisions made after the regular CA meetings, while the others were on the OFCA responses to media enquiries and subjects relating to major initiatives and events. We also published an article in major local newspapers elaborating our views on a significant telecommunications issue. The speeches and presentations made by the Director-General of Communications at public seminars, events and industry conferences have been published on our website. This has helped in disseminating our messages to the industry and the public.

Public Education

We conduct school talks on different categories of television programme service in Hong Kong and on how the audience can make informed viewing choices. During the past year, we gave ten talks to students at seven primary schools and three secondary schools.

Participation in Communications Activities

In September 2012, OFCA joined hands with 15 other government departments and hiking organisations to participate in the annual campaign "Mountaineering Safety Promotion Day" organised by the Civil Aid Service to promote hiking safety. At the event, operating under the theme: "Be Prepared for Your Outing: Know more about Communications in Country Areas", OFCA set up a booth featuring digital maps showing mobile network coverage along individual hiking trails and providing tips on the selection of appropriate communications devices for hiking by means of interactive games, informative display panels and live demonstrations.

OFCA is also a keen supporter of various industry activities. During the year under review, in addition to acting as supporting organisation for a range of programmes, OFCA sponsored two industry campaigns: the World Telecommunications and Information Society Day (WTISD) and the SafeWiFi Campaign, co-organised by CAHK and the Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association respectively. WTISD is an annual campaign launched by CAHK to promote the youth community's awareness of information and communications technology developments in Hong Kong through a programme of interesting competitions. The SafeWiFi Campaign, on the other hand, aims to enhance public awareness of WiFi security through a series of territory-wide surveys, the organisation of a public seminar and the creation of an official website.

The Work of Advisory Committees

Telecommunications Advisory Committees

Three advisory committees—the Telecommunications Regulatory Affairs Advisory Committee, the Radio Spectrum and Technical Standards Advisory Committee and the Telecommunications Users and Consumers Advisory Committee—were established under OFCA in June 2012. These committees provide a regular and formal channel for concerned and interested parties to advise OFCA on the formulation and implementation of various telecommunications measures and policies.

Members of the advisory committees are drawn from different parts of the telecommunications industry, relevant government departments and non-governmental organisations, as well as from the general public. This helps provide a balanced representation of views on sometimes highly technical and complex issues. The term of service is two years.

The membership lists of the three advisory committees as at 31 March 2013 can be found in Appendix B.

Television and Radio Consultative Scheme

The role of the Television and Radio Consultative Scheme is to provide qualitative input on television and radio programming to the CA's public consultation process. Members are appointed from the territory's 18 districts. In 2012/13, OFCA invited members' views on the review of codes of practice on commercial references within programmes on channels acquired for direct re-transmission on domestic free television programme services; identification of television advertisements adopting a programme style; and the applicability of advertising time-limits to promos for television and radio advertisements. Members were also invited to give their views during the 2013 public engagement exercise on programme quality and variety provided by the two domestic free television programme service licensees. The views collected formed part of the CA consultation process.