The new CDMA 2000-standard third-generation mobile services will
be launched launch in November in Hong Kong while the auction for
spectrum in the 2.3GHz and 2.5GHz bands for the provision of
Broadband Wireless Access services is set for the fourth quarter,
an official said in Hong Kong on Wednesday.
With these in place more innovative mobile and fixed broadband
wireless access services will soon be available in Hong Kong,
Director-General of Telecommunications Marion Lai said at a
year-end briefing.
She said there will be other important regulatory initiatives
this year, like the creation of a Unified Carrier License as the
common licensing vehicle for the development of fixed-mobile
convergence.
Lai said last year continued to be a robust and prosperous year
for Hong Kong's telecommunications developments with the rapid
growth of wireless communication services including mobile, short
messaging and public WiFi services, making it one of the most
advanced wireless cities in the world.
Despite the highly competitive mobile market the number of
mobile subscribers rose to more than 10 million for the first time
in October, then to another record high of 10.6 million in
November, meaning a penetration rate of 152 percent.
"This is one of the highest penetration rates in the world, well
exceeding many advanced economies such as the US, UK, Japan and
Korea," Lai said.
Last year also saw a massive rollout of public WiFi networks -
the hotspot number has exceeded 6,400 serving more than 4,100
locations. Coupled with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region
(HKSAR) government's commitment to install 3,000 WiFi access points
at 350 government premises by the end of 2009, public WiFi services
will continue to expand.
The volume of short messages Hong Kong people sent and received
in the year also showed significant growth. Sent messages totaled
3.28 billion from December 2006 to November 2007, up 26 percent on
the same period a year earlier.
(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2008)
