Hutchison Telephone (Macau) will cease operations after 11:59 p.m. on November 30, and its existing customers will be transferred to CTM, the Post and Telecommunications Bureau (CTT) announced in a statement yesterday.
Hutchison Telephone (Macau) also made the announcement in a notice yesterday.
After Hutchison’s termination of its services, Macau will only have two telecom operators running mobile telecommunications services – CTM and China Telecom (Macau).
Both CTM and China Telecom are running 5G services in Macau, while Hutchison is only running 4G services.
SmarTone (Macau) ceased operations in November 2024, reducing the number of mobile telecom operators in Macau from four to three. Its customers were then transferred to CTM. Before leaving the Macau market, SmarTone only operated 4G services here.
SmarTone, Hutchison, and China Telecom entered Macau’s mobile telecom market in the 2000s.
In its 2025 Annual Report published in March this year, Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings said that it sold its telecom business in Macau for HK$110 million in January this year, after considering that its telecom business in Macau was incurring a loss. According to media reports at that time, Hutchison Telephone (Macau) was acquired by CTM.
CTM said in April that Hutchison Telephone (Macau) would temporarily remain in operation.
Yesterday’s CTT statement said that the bureau has received notification from Hutchison Telephone (Macau) of its commercial decision to surrender its 4G licence and cease its mobile telecom service effective from 12:00 a.m. on December 1.
The statement said that Hutchison has reached an agreement with CTM where its users will be transferred to CTM. During the transition period, Hutchison will maintain basic telecom services and continue to provide customer support through its own service outlets, CTM service outlets, and the two companies’ customer service hotlines, the statement said.
The statement underlined that the bureau has required Hutchison to come up with a comprehensive transition plan and will closely monitor the entire process to ensure a smooth transition for its users to CTM. Hutchison must also ensure the protection of its employees’ legal rights and interests, the statement said.
Yesterday’s Hutchison notice said that following CTM’s acquisition of Hutchison Telephone (Macau) early this year, its mobile telecom service will be terminated after 11:59 p.m. on November 30, with the aim of enabling further integration of resources to facilitate better services for telecom customers.
The notice said that Hutchison’s existing customers will be transferred to CTM. However, they are required to visit one of the Hutchison or CTM outlets on or before November 30 to complete the required formalities for the transfer.
Pedestrians walk past Hutchison Macau’s outlet on Rua do Campo yesterday. – Photo: Tony Wong
