TNAG-2149-FCO40-3068-International-Value-Added-Network-Services-(IVANS)-1990 — Page 51

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

1

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CONFIDENTIAL