Promised MTEL 2015 network coverage in jeopardy

By
Kam Leong

The chairman of fixed-line telecommunications service provider MTEL Telecommunication Company Ltd., Michael Choi, told reporters on Friday that it is challenging for MTEL to reach its network coverage of 55 per cent of Macau by the end of this year as it has not yet had all of its network installation construction approved by the government.
According to Mr. Choi, MTELÂ’s network installation works has been restricted, as the government has not approved all of its road works applications for network installations, thus their current network coverage reaches only 40 per cent of the territory.
The provider promised in its bid that its network would cover 70 per cent of the territory and all local schools by the end of next year, with 55 per cent achieved by the end of this year.
Mr. Choi said MTel had already handed a demand letter to the Bureau of Telecommunications Regulation (DSRT) in the hope that the government would assist them for the constructions needed.
The MTel chairman also revealed that his company has received 3,000 applications for online services from residents. Moreover, three local telecommunications operators are intending to rent fix lines from MTEL, Mr. Choi said, indicating that two of them are testing the services while the other one will make a decision shortly.
4G
Currently, apart from MTEL, only Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau (CTM) provides fixed-line telecommunications services in the Special Administrative Region.
Meanwhile, DSRT head Hoi Chi Leong said on Friday that the government will officially distribute licences to the four telecommunications companies that won the 4G bids between the end of the second quarter and the third quarter of this year.
The 4G bid winners are CTM, China Telecom (Macau), Hutchison Telephone Macau (known as 3Macau) and SmarTone. CTM and 3Macau announced recently that their 4G networks would cover nearly all, and half of the territory by the end of this year, respectively.