Telecommunications Regulatory Bureau of Ministry of Information Industry, Further Regulating the Satellite Communications Services Market Circular

Issued: June 6 2001
Effective: as of date of issue

Main contents: Providers of satellite-transponder bandwidth, domestic VSAT services and other satellite communications services must possess a Telecommunications Business Permit issued by the Ministry of Information Industry (Item One). Domestic VSAT service providers may not establish hub-stations outside the PRC (Item Three). Where VSAT services are provided to an organization that does not possess a Telecommunications Business Permit, that organization must be the end-user of the service (Item Three). A VSAT hub-station may not be linked to the public communications network through terminal equipment (Item Three). Domestic users wanting to lease transponder bandwidth must lease from authorized providers (Item Four). Foreign satellite companies leasing satellite transponder services in the PRC must do so through a domestic satellite company (Item Five).
Related legislation: PRC, Telecommunications Regulations, Sep 25 2000, CLP 2000 No.9 p28 and Supreme People's Court, Several Questions Concerning Specific Laws Applicable to the Trial of Cases Regarding the Disturbance to the Administration and Order of the Telecommunications Market Interpretation, May 12 2000