New telecom law by next year

The Ministry of Information Industry (MII) said China's first all-embracing Telecommunication Law, which opens the sector up to foreign investment, is scheduled to come into effect in the second half of next year. MII said the draft law will be sent to the State Council and go from there to the National People's Congress for approval. Once in force, the market will set prices, not regulators. The law also makes it easier for service providers to offer more services and sets rules on interoperability among telecom companies. Another provision requires operators to pay into a fund to finance basic telecom services in remote areas.