About 70 people demonstrated against the Macau Telecommunications Company's telephone monopoly yesterday, urging the Government and the Sino-Portuguese Joint Liaison Group to open the market.

Protest leader Kam Veng-chong said the Government should follow the example of neighbouring territories and countries by opening up the market as this was the best way of improving telephone services.

Companhia de Telecomunicacoes de Macau (CTM) has held the monopoly since 1981. CTM is owned by Cable & Wireless, which holds 51 per cent of the equity, Portugal Telecom (28 per cent), Beijing's Citic (20 per cent) and the Macau Government (one per cent).