bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

sponsorType

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

The Government will issue Hong Kong's third-generation (3G) wireless network licences in September, according to Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting Carrie Yau.

'We are not going to delay this exercise,' Ms Yau said at the open ceremonies of the e-World Exhibition and Conference organised by e-business product maker Jardine OneSolution.

Ms Yau's comments about 3G deviated from her prepared text released by the Government, which said: '. . . we will review the Electronic Transactions Ordinance later on in the year and issue 3G mobile communications licences in September.'

The Government and legislators recognised the need to keep in step with the international community in 3G adoption, Ms Yau said.

Countries around the world have been deciding how to charge for licences or involve wireless operators and make the jump to 3G from second-generation services.

However, a few weeks ago, Japan's leading wireless firm NTT DoCoMo shocked the industry by opting to wait for four months and install a widespread system in October, missing its original target date.

The Hong Kong Government aimed to make a major installation next year or in 2003 and needed to work back from that date to make it, Ms Yau said.

'If at all possible, we should stick to our original timetable,' she said.

Previously, the Government had said its 3G mobile-phone licence auction was on schedule to be held this month or next, although market watchers have been concerned that the auction would be delayed to August due to a procedural delay in Legislative Council discussions.

Ms Yau was opening the e-World Exhibition and Conference run by Jardine OneSolution and its partners. The Government is one of the largest customers of Jardine OneSolution.

Ms Yau also spoke about Hong Kong's efforts to position itself as an 'e-city', by allowing citizens to use online services for tasks such as driving licence renewals.

The Government also planned to put more of its procurement services online, she added.

During the open ceremonies, Jardine OneSolution chief executive Steve Lo spoke of the importance of the flow of electronic goods and services online to individual businesses, and pointed out that 'building an e-business will be more of a process of evolution rather than revolution'.

The two-day e-World conference and showcase features the SAR units of companies such as Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM and Sun Microsystems, along with other firms. It closes today.

Integrator's target, page 11



3G licences set for issue in September