The document discusses measures taken by Hong Kong's Office of the Communications Authority to promote transparency in broadband internet access services. It summarizes that there are 191 internet service providers and five major fixed and mobile network operators providing broadband access. It then describes initiatives to (1) register buildings with fiber infrastructure, (2) require operators to publish performance pledges, (3) issue fair usage policy guidelines, and (4) provide online and mobile speed test tools, in order to help consumers make informed choices about broadband services and plans. The overall aim is to enhance transparency, competition, and quality of broadband services in Hong Kong.

1. Speed of Internet Broadband Access
- How can it be more transparent to consumers?
APEC TEL 47, Bali, Indonesia
24 April 2013
Office of the Communications Authority
Hong Kong, China
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2. Broadband Services Market in HK
• Fixed Broadband Services
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191 internet service providers (ISP) licensed as at March 2013
87% of households have choice of at least two access networks
Five active/major fixed network operators providing fixed
broadband services with
xDSL, HFC, FTTB/FTTH technologies; and
 access speed ranging from 1.5 Mbps to 1 Gbps
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• Mobile Broadband Services
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Five mobile network operators licensed to operate 15 networks
at different frequency bands with
GSM/EDGE, CDMA, UMTS/HSDPA and LTE technologies; and
 access speed up to 80 Mbps
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3. Gaps in Broadband Services...
• Consumer wants operators to provide –
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Fair deal
Reliable service at the “speed” claimed by operators
More choices on service plans
Good customer service (e.g. easy access of hotline)
• Operator wants consumers to understand –
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The performance of broadband services could be affected by
many factors
The correct interpretation of broadband “speed”
Eye-catching wording /advertisement is just for drawing
attention
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4. Our Policy
• Maximizing the transparency to consumers
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Disclosing the information regarding the availability of
optical fibre-base networks
Encouraging operators to publish their performance pledges
Enhancing the transparency of service information
Providing customers with tools to check the performance of
service providers
• Prohibiting misleading or deceptive practices
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Section 7M of the Telecommunications Ordinance
5 cases established in 2012 with financial penalty ranging
from HK$50,000 to 300,000
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5. Our Approach
Transparency
on Network
Infrastructure
• Introduced the registration scheme for buildings
with optical fibre-based access in 2010
• Enable consumers to have information about the
choice of optical fibre-based networks
Transparency
on Services
Information
• Introduced the publication of performance pledges
by network operators in 2008
• Introduced Fair Usage Policy Guidelines in 2012
• Enable consumers to make better-informed choices
Transparency
on Actual
Performance
• Introduced speed test tools in 2010
• Enable consumers to check the actual performance
of broadband services easily
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6. Buildings Registration Scheme
- Objectives
• Provide the public with information about the
coverage of optical fibre networks
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Enhance the transparency of optical fibre network rollout
Promote further adoption of broadband services
• Help consumers make better-informed choice of
broadband operators
• Encourage investment in broadband networks
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Promote a wider coverage and a faster rollout of optical fibre
networks
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7. Buildings Registration Scheme
• Five major fixed broadband network operators have
joined the scheme
• Buildings are classified into either Fibre-To-The-Home
(FTTH) or Fibre-To-The-Building (FTTB)
• The registered buildings are entitled to use the
relevant label to show their building class
• A web-based map is developed for consumers to
check the building class and the coverage of
operators easily
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8. Buildings Registration Scheme
Fibre-to-the-Building (FTTB)
Local Exchange
of Network
Fibre-to-the-Home (FTTH)
Local Exchange
of Network
Optical fibre
Physical medium other than optical fibre
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9. Buildings Registration Scheme
http://app1.ofca.gov.hk/apps/ubs/map.asp
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10. Performance Pledges by Operators
- Objectives
• Help consumers make better-informed choice of
broadband service providers
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Enhance transparency of the performance of service providers
Increase customer satisfaction
• Encourage competition among broadband service
providers
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Beauty contest - pressure on service providers to improve their
service quality and reliability
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11. Performance Pledges by Operators
• Five major fixed broadband providers have
published their pledged performance since 2008
• All five mobile network operators have also
published their pledged performance from 2010
• The performance pledges cover
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Network reliability;
Service restoration time;
Technical performance; and
Customer hotline performance and complaint handling.
• Publication of the actual performance against
their published pledges quarterly
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12. Publication of Performance Pledges
http://www.ofca.gov.hk/en/consumer_focus/fixed_telecom/performance_pledges/index.html
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13. • Performance pledges published by a FNO
• Performance pledges published by a MNO
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14. Fair Usage Policy Guidelines
- Objectives
• Enhance the transparency of service information to
facilitate better informed consumer choices
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Enhance the transparency of FUP and the relevant terms and
conditions
Reduce the unnecessary disputes regarding the “unlimited”
usage plans
• Provide guidance to broadband service providers
on how they may implement FUP
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Ensure a uniform application of FUP
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15. Fair Usage Policy Guidelines
• After 3 rounds of consultation, the Guidelines were
issued on 9 November 2011
• Mandatory guidelines for both fixed and mobile
broadband services providers
• All service providers have to conform to the
Guidelines for all their sales and promotional
activities and all their service contracts established
after 13 February 2012
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16. Fair Usage Policy Guidelines
Principle 1 – Application of FUP
Principle 2 – Transparency of FUP for local data services
Principle 3 – Potential customers duly informed at the point of sales
Principle 4 – Restrictive measures must be reasonable and proportionate
Principle 5 – Service providers to give sufficient notice to customers before
varying unilaterally the salient terms specified in the FUP
Principle 6 – FUP shall not be intermixed with provisions not related to
fair use
Principle 7 – Service providers to provide advance notice to customers
with excessive usage before triggering FUP
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17. Speed Test Tools for Consumers
- Objectives
• Consumers can easily check the speed of their
broadband services
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Enhance transparency of broadband speed provided by
broadband operators
Check whether the performance of operators meet the
service pledges
• Encourage competition among broadband service
providers
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Driving force on service providers to maintain their service
quality and network reliability
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18. Speed Test Tools for Consumers
• Speed Test Website for fixed broadband
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Two test options optimized for different broadband speed:
below 100 Mbps and 100 – 300 Mbps
measure download speed, upload speed, network latency,
packet loss and jitter
• Speed Test Mobile App for mobile broadband
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support iOS and Android platforms
measure download speed, upload speed and network latency
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19. Network Configuration
Speed test servers
(Red Hat Enterprise Linux 5
with Apache)
http://speedtest.ofca.gov.hk
Monitoring and
management
reporting platforms
Fixed
broadband
users
Internet
mobile
broadband
users
HKIX*
Internet
Operations
* HKIX is the hub for intra-Hong Kong Internet traffic and it
connects to all major fixed and mobile Internet service
providers with high capacity broadband circuits
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20. Speed Test Website
http://speedtest.ofca.gov.hk/index.html
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21. Speed Test Website - Test Result
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22. Speed Test Mobile App
iOS
Android
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23. Speed Test Mobile App - Test
iOS
Android
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24. Speed Test Mobile App – Test Result
Test Results
Individual Test Result
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25. Thank You!
CA’s website: www.coms-auth.hk
OFCA’s website : www.ofca.gov.hk
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