Trading Fund Report 2021/22
OFCA puts a strong emphasis on engaging the community and maintains close ties with international organisations on industry development and regulatory matters.
OFCA actively participates in the activities of and maintains close contact with a number of international and regional organisations, either as part of the Chinese delegation or as an individual member of those organisations.
In 2021/22, OFCA attended a total of 20 conferences and meetings hosted by international and regional organisations in virtual format, including the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Asia-Pacific Telecommunity (APT), and International Institute of Communications (IIC). The more notable events of the year included the ITU World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly, the ITU Digital World and the IIC International Regulators Forum. OFCA will continue to participate in the activities held by the international and regional organisations with the aim of exchanging views on international best practices in regulating the evolving communications sector as well as promoting Hong Kong’s achievement as the pre-eminent hub for telecommunications and information infrastructures in the Asia Pacific region.
OFCA attends international meetings from time to time to exchange views and experience on regulatory matters with its counterparts.
OFCA regularly shares and exchanges views on various issues in relation to communications services with its counterparts. During the year, OFCA attended online meetings with the Mainland authorities, including Bureau of Radio Regulation of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and the National Radio and Television Administration, as well as the Federal Service for Supervision of Communications, Information Technology and Mass Media (Roskomnadzor) of Russia. To strengthen the co-operation in development of the information industry between Guangdong and Hong Kong, OFCA also attended the Plenary Meetings of the Hong Kong/Guangdong Expert Group on Co-operation in Informatisation regularly.
OFCA proactively keeps the public and the media informed of its work. In 2021/22, OFCA issued 21 press releases on the CA’s major decisions in relation to broadcasting and telecommunications regulatory issues and OFCA’s major initiatives, operations and events. Speeches, presentations and articles made by the Director-General of Communications at public events, industry conferences and media were also published on our website. These measures help disseminate OFCA and government's messages to both the industry and the public, and enable them to gain a better understanding of our work.
In 2021/22, given the prevailing circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, OFCA gave eight talks on broadcasting services in Hong Kong to local students of primary schools and two talks to the participants of the Community Involvement Broadcasting Service (CIBS) via Zoom. Students were introduced to the different categories of television programme services in Hong Kong and how audiences could make informed viewing choices. The participants of CIBS were briefed on the programme standards of sound broadcasting services.
OFCA continued to participate in the annual “Science in the Public Service” Lecture Series jointly organised by the Hong Kong Observatory and over 50 government bureaux and departments and public bodies. In order to introduce the recent development of 5G services in Hong Kong and the work spearheaded by the CA and the Government in facilitating the sustainable development of 5G services, OFCA delivered a talk titled “Recent Developments of 5G Services in Hong Kong” on 23 October 2021 at the Hong Kong Science Museum.
OFCA also participated in the “Mountaineering Safety Promotion Online Seminar” jointly organised by the Civil Aid Service and other government departments and organisations on 14 November 2021. A talk on hiking safety was delivered to the participants to promote effective means of communication in country parks.
OFCA gave a talk on “Recent Developments of 5G Services in Hong Kong” at the “Science in the Public Service” Lecture Series.
Three advisory committees under OFCA have been established to provide a regular and formal channel for various parties to advise OFCA on telecommunications regulatory measures and policies.
Three advisory committees, namely 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 the industry, telecommunications service users and interested parties to advise OFCA on the formulation and implementation of various telecommunications regulatory measures and policies.
Members of the advisory committees are drawn from different sectors of the telecommunications industry, relevant government departments and non-governmental organisations as well as the general public. This helps provide a balanced representation of views on issues that are at times highly technical and complex. The term of appointment is two years.
The membership lists of the three advisory committees as of 31 March 2022 can be found in Appendix B.
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 drawn from all 18 districts of the territory.