AFTER a considerable delay, the Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) has released its promised statement clarifying the position of Internet access providers and bulletin board services in relation to the Telecommunications Ordinance.
The statement, issued last week, had been eagerly awaited by the local on-line community, the technology media and particularly BBS operators.
Rumours had been rife about OFTA's possible stance. It had been made abundantly clear to Internet access providers in Hong Kong that they could not operate unless they held a $750 Public Non-exclusive Telecommunications Service (PNETS) licence.
Whether that same law would be interpreted to include BBSes - many of which are operated by teenage hobbyists - was a matter of some debate.
Could OFTA class what are largely non-profit organisations into the same categories of obviously profit-minded Internet service providers and other value-added resellers of telecommunications services? Could OFTA be so unfair as to insist BBSes obtain PNETS licences to operate, and in so doing force them to pay Hongkong Telecom $69 for every line leading into their systems and nine cents for every minute each line was open? Of course not, the fair-minded said. Or the naive - because that is exactly what OFTA has done.
In its statement, attributed to Director-general of Telecommunications Alex Arena, OFTA said no BBS merely disseminating information or computer programs would need a PNETS licence.
That is exactly what BBSes do, so are they safe? Read on.