China’s MIIT Releases Long-Awaited Draft Amended Telecoms Catalogue For Public Comment

The Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology ("MIIT") issued a draft new Catalogue of Telecommunications Services ( 《电信业务分类目录（ 2013 版）》 (征求意见稿); the "Draft Catalogue") for public comment on May 23, 2013.

While the proposed changes are more evolutionary than revolutionary, the Draft Catalogue will have important implications for businesses operating in the China Internet and telecoms markets, particularly those involving e-commerce, content delivery and cloud computing.

The deadline for comments to MIIT is June 24, 2013.

BACKGROUND

The Catalogue of Telecommunications Services is at the heart of the Chinese telecommunications regulatory regime. It enumerates and classifies the types of services for which a license is required to operate in China. Services are broadly divided into two key categories: basic telecommunications services ("BTS"), which essentially relate to underlying infrastructure such as POTS, voice and leased-line