Transmission poles break rules, officials tell broadband firm

Some 500 steel transmission poles put up around the city by the Hong Kong Broadband Network do not comply with regulations on land excavation, officials say.

The Highways Department said yesterday it was not satisfied with the installation, and would pursue it with the Lands Department and the Office of the Telecommunication Authority (Ofta).

The poles, a type of telecom switch, were put up by Hong Kong Broadband in recent months to provide service to buildings that are too old or do not have sufficient space to install broadband equipment.

The new additions on the roadsides of Central, Wan Chai, Causeway Bay and Jordan have triggered public complaints and inquiries. Some said the poles impair drivers' view while others said they blocked loading and unloading areas. Some pedestrians had mistaken them for a police monitoring system or uncompleted road signs.

The Highways Department said fixed-line telecom companies could apply for a permit to excavate an area of less than four square metres on public streets for maintenance and small-scale works. The company must inform the department in advance of such works and restore the street within 48 hours.

The department said Hong Kong Broadband did alert it about its excavation works. But unlike general excavation works, in which the systems are installed underground, the company had not only installed its systems above ground but also close to the roadside.