Hong Kong - More than 700,000 mobile phone numbers have been registered for a service which aims to block out spam messages and faxes, a Hong Kong telecommunications watchdog said Monday.

Companies that continue to send unsolicited text and pre-recorded messages to registered numbers risk being fined under the scheme which began last December with the introduction of a law aimed at reducing spam calls.

Since then 3,064 people in the city of 6.9 million have registered complaints with the Office of Telecommunications Authority about unsolicited calls. Of those, 2,091 related to faxes, 439 emails and the rest were SMS and pre-recorded messages, and others.

The Hong Kong government now plans a survey to gather public opinion on person-to-person marketing calls, which are not covered under the new regulations. (dpa)