China's State Administration of Radio, Film and Television (SARFT) has placed a suspension on the IPTV service operated by Guangxi Telecom, alleging that the company launched the service without due permission, according to reports in the Beijing Morning Post.
Guangxi Telecom (a subsidiary of China Telecom) launched the service earlier this month, and the local broadcasting bureau of south China's Guangxi Zhuang Atonomous Region is believed to have subsequently reported the telco to the SARFT for doing so without the requisite licences. The regulator has also ordered Shanghai Television (part of the Shanghai Media Group) to cease the provision of programming to Guangxi Telecom.
Under Chinese law and regulations, companies are required to obtain four licences prior to launching IPTV - an IPTV licence, an Internet content provider licence and mobile value-added service provider licence (both conferred by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology), and an Internet culture business licence (granted by the Ministry of Culture).
