Hong Kong's Telecommunications
Future Developments
Background
The Cable & Wireless Group have conducted business in Hong Kong for over a century and have played a significant role in establishing Hong Kong's pre-eminent position in the Far East and Asia as a major trading and commercial centre.
During times of difficulty and success the partnership of Hong Kong and Cable & Wireless has persevered; the best and most recent example of this being the acquisition of the Hong Kong Telephone Company by Cable & Wireless prior to the signing of the Sino-British Declaration and at a time when significant volumes of capital were moving out of Hong Kong.
The result of this partnership is a telecommunications facility which compares favourably with anywhere else in the world and stands above most others as regards quality of service and value for money. As a result Hong Kong has been able to continue to attract new businesses to establish themselves in the territory.
Recent History
Telecommunications is a rapidly developing industry and it is not untypical that the rate of development of the industry should be substantially faster than the ability of legislators to keep pace with it. Against this background it has for some time been recognized (by both Government and
and the Cable & Wireless Group) that new telecommunications legislation is necessary in Hong Kong. In particular, the Telephone Ordinance is no longer appropriate to the expectations placed upon the Hong Kong Telephone Company to provide modern telecommunications services.
In
recognition of these inhibitions to the sensible development of a telecommunications policy for Hong Kong, the Hong Kong Telephone Company has submitted to Government a philosophical discussion paper for future legislation; legislation which would not become hidebound by technology and which would allow a much more rational development of telecommunications than is currently possible.
China
of
The Cable & Wireless Group has played a leading role in the development telecommunications within China. As Chairman of the Sino-British Trade Council our Chairman, Sir Eric Sharp, has been at the forefront of promoting British trade with China. Cable & Wireless has been prominently involved in major developments, particularly in Guangdong province, the Shenzhen Economic Zone and the Yangtze Delta. The Cable & Wireless role here is as much political as it is business related. From our own resources we have made soft loans available to the Chinese; we have subsidised a number of developments, particularly in Guangdong province and generally speaking have aimed to play a high profile role in harmonizing the development of telecommunications between Hong Kong and China. No real financial reward arises from these activities.