CONFIDENTIAL
11413
MDHIAN 5653
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 465
OF 071015Z FEBRUARY 90
INFO IMMEDIATE DTI
HKC193/2
RECEIV
*
DESK OF
INI.
3 APR 1990
TRY
4GISTRY
Luton Laken,
TOP COPY a DIST ?
INTERNATIONAL VALUE ADDED NETWORK SERVICES (IVANS): BILATERAL
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS
1. THE UK CURRENTLY HAS IN PLACE BILATERAL SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS ON IVANS WITH THE US AND JAPAN. WE HAVE BEEN APPROACHED BY THE JAPANESE MINISTRY OF POSTS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND UK DTI TO CONCLUDE SIMILAR BILATERAL ARRANGEMENTS. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE US ALSO WISHES TO ENTER INTO SUCH ARRANGEMENTS WITH HK.
2. IN LINE WITH OUR POLICY OF ENCOURAGING COMPETITION IN SERVICES SUCH AS IVANS WHICH FALL OUTSIDE THE SCOPE OF CURRENT EXCLUSIVE TELECOMMUNICATIONS FRANCHISES, WE ARE KEEN FOR HONG KONG TO BE COVERED BY BILATERAL SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS ON IVANS. WE CONSIDER SUCH ARRANGEMENTS TO BE A HONG KONG TELECOMMUNICATION REGULATORY MATTER. AS SUCH, OUR PREFERRED APPROACH IS FOR HONG KONG TO BE GIVEN A GENERAL AUTHORISATION BY THE UK TO FORMULATE AND ENTER INTO SUCH SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS.
T
3. WE NOTE THAT SECTION 9.1 OF THE INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS REGULATIONS CONTAINED IN THE FINAL ACTS OF THE 1988 WORLD ADMINISTRATIVE TELEPHONE AND TELEGRAPH CONFERENCE ALLOWS FOR MEMBER TO AUTHORISE ''OTHER ORGANISATIONS' TO ENTER INTO ''SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS''. WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROVISION WOULD ALLOW YOU TO GIVE THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT A GENERAL AUTHORISATION OF THE
TYPE OUTLINED ABOVE.
4. WHILE WE RECOGNISE THAT FORMAL AUTHORISATION ALONG THESE LINES MAY NEED TO AWAIT THE COMING INTO FORCE OF THESE REGULATIONS FROM 1 JULY 1990, WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD NOW CONSIDER GRANTING AN AUTHORISATION THAT WOULD AT LEAST ALLOW US TO COMMENCE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE PARTIES THAT HAVE ALREADY APPROACHED US ON THE FORMULATION OF BILATERAL IVANS SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS. WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO BEGIN THE FORMAL DISCUSSION PROCESS AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE.
5. MR. TONY WONG OF HKPO WILL BE IN LONDON FROM 8 12 FEBRUARY AND
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CONFIDENTIAL