Hong Kong 2005
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Chapter 17: Communications, the Media and Information Technology*
   
 
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Introduction
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Hong Kong has an insatiable appetite for
information and communication and it expects, and
gets, instant access at an affordable rate. By the
end of 2005, 65.6 per cent of households were
using broadband — making Hong Kong second
in the world in terms of population penetration. It
was also second in the world for mobile phone
penetration with 8.5 million subscribers.

Excellent communications have been an essential element in Hong Kong's development as an international business and financial centre. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) has one of the most sophisticated telecommunications markets in the world, and its people are kept well informed by a vigorous media.

The HKSAR has a fully liberalised and highly competitive telecommunications market. Since the launch of third generation (3G) mobile services in 2004, the take-up rate has grown rapidly. By the end of the year, more than 635 000 mobile phone users were enjoying new services such as video calls and interactive real-time gaming. New telecommunications service providers offering innovative Internet Protocol-based (IP) services such as voice-over IP are expected following the creation of a new service-based licence in early 2006. The Government is also considering allocating spectrum for the provision of services based on broadband wireless access (BWA) technologies to promote the use of broadband technologies even further.

Hong Kong has a vibrant broadcasting sector offering a wide range of services to local viewers and listeners. They have access to over 200 local and overseas television channels in various languages through free-to-air terrestrial and satellite reception or pay television services provided by three companies, and 13 radio channels provided by two commercial broadcasters and Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK), the public service broadcaster. With over 500 000 households subscribing to IP television (IPTV) services, Hong Kong is the most advanced IPTV market in the world.

Hong Kong is also a regional broadcasting hub with 14 licensees uplinking over 100 satellite television channels for the regional market. Terrestrial television broadcasters are migrating to digital broadcasting and the Government is updating the regulatory regime in the light of technological and market convergence.
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