Two mobile-telephone operators, including a unit of Hutchison Whampoa, have filed court documents to quash a controversial 25 per cent rise in connection fees charged by fixed-line rival PCCW.
The 'unprecedented and unexpected' fee increase was approved by regulators in May without input from the city's five mobile carriers, according to separate judicial review applications filed last week by Hutchison Telephone and CSL.
Hutchison's application, dated August 23, alleged that a decision by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority to approve the increase was 'illegal, unlawful, irrational and/or procedurally improper'.
'Despite the obvious potential adverse impact ... on the applicant, the authority failed to inform the applicant or solicit its views on the proposed increase,' it said.
'There was no reason for the applicant to anticipate nor budget for a sudden and substantial [fee] increase.'
An Ofta spokesman yesterday said that as the matter was being dealt with by the appeal board, 'Ofta is not in a position to comment'.
The petition came a day after CSL filed court documents to block changes to the fixed mobile interconnection charge, which mobile operators pay to connect their customers with fixed-line users.