Following news that Macau’s Bureau of Telecommunications Regulation (DSRT) received a letter of intent jointly signed by most antenna companies, the Macau Daily Times reported that the companies have signed an agreement to use their networks to relay the TV signals provided by Cable TV. 

“After a number of discussions, this short-term solution obtained a consensus among each party. Officially signing the cooperation agreement today marked a solution to a historical remnant, the public antenna problem,” stated the DSRT in a press release yesterday.

Present at the signing ceremony, director of the Legal Affairs Bureau (DSAJ) Cheong Weng Chon said the government will pay Cable TV an initial MOP3.8 million and then MOP0.98 million per month until April 2014 when Cable TV’s concession contract ends, according to the report. Cable TV expressed its dissatisfaction with the government’s payment as the company will be “paying out of its own pocket” to carry out the procedure, added the report.

The Macau Daily Times also reported that Cable TV declared its waiver of seeking compensation from the antenna companies, but that it has not decided whether to withdraw its compensation claim from the government.

“At the moment, if we redeem the concession contract, without mentioning the legal matters posed by Cable TV, we would have to pay between MOP200 and 300 million,” said Tou Veng Keong, head of DSRT at the AL plenary meeting yesterday. 

According to DSRT, the TV signal connection work will start district by district, and is expected to be completed by August 18, 2013. 

“There are a large number of technical works to follow up since the agreement was signed, which require the proper supervision and coordination by the Bureau. We also hope Cable TV and the antenna companies will continue their spirit of cooperation to minimise the inconvenience to the public during the signal connection works,” stressed Tou Veng Keong after the signing ceremony. 

Tou commented that this solution “shows the government’s strict compliance with the Court of Second Instance’s judgment, the respect to Cable TV’s concession contract, as well as the consideration of residents’ demands for open TV channels.” According to Tou, viewers in Macau will be able to receive approximately forty TV channels.

“The residents’ viewing habits will be affected as there will be only one third of the TV channels left for consumers of public antenna companies,” Leong Ka Kei, a representative from the antenna companies, told the media, according to the report.