FRIDAY, JANUARY 31, 1992
17
DIGITAL PUBLIC MOBILE RADIOTELEPHONE SERVICE
**
THE POSTMASTER GENERAL AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY, MR DOMINIC S.W. WONG, ANNOUNCED TODAY (FRIDAY) THE LICENSING ARRANGEMENTS FOR DIGITAL PUBLIC MOBILE RADIOTELEPHONE SERVICES (PMRS) IN HONG KONG AND ISSUED A PUBLIC NOTICE INVITING INTERESTED PARTIES TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO OPERATE SUCH SERVICES.
MR WONG ANNOUNCED THAT:
*
BOTH THE EUROPEAN "GLOBAL STANDARD FOR (GSM) AND THE UNITED STATES DIGITAL STANDARDS WILL BE ADOPTED FOR DIGITAL PMRS
MOBILE-TELEPHONE"
CELLULAR {USDC} IN HONG KONG;
BE PERMITTED то SYSTEMS (TACS, ETACS AND AMPS)
* THE THREE EXISTING PMRS OPERATORS WILL
CONVERT THEIR ANALOGUE INTO DIGITAL ONES; AND
*
A NEW OPERATOR WILL BE LICENSED TO OPERATE A NEW SYSTEM BASED ON THE GSM STANDARD.
IN NOVEMBER 1990 THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS AUTHORITY ISSUED A CONSULTATIVE DOCUMENT ON THE QUESTION OF LICENSING DIGITAL PMRS IN HONG KONG,
"THE DECISION ON THE LICENSING ARRANGEMENTS WAS MADE AFTER TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION COMMENTS RECEIVED IN THE CONSULTATION PROCESS AND THE LATEST TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS, MR WONG SAID.
I
AT PRESENT, THERE ARE THREE PMRS OPERATORS: HONG KONG TELECOM CSL LIMITED, HUTCHISON TELEPHONE LTD AND PACIFIC LINK COMMUNICATIONS LIMITED. THEY EMPLOY ANALOGUE TECHNIQUES IN OPERATING THEIR SYSTEMS,
AT THE END OF LAST YEAR THERE WERE 190,000 SUBSCRIBERS IN HONG KONG WHICH REPRESENTED THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF HAND-HELD PORTABLE PHONES IN ANY SIZEABLE CELLULAR PHONE MARKET IN THE WORLD.
IN HONG
"OWING ΤΟ THE VERY STRONG DEMAND FOR MOBILE PHONES KONG, THE EXISTING ANALOGUE SYSTEMS WILL SOON NOT BE ABLE TO MEET FUTURE GROWTH," MR WONG SAID.
"BY INTRODUCING DIGITAL PMRS, THE CAPACITY CAN BE INCREASED A FEW TIMES WITH A BETTER GRADE OF SERVICE," HE ADDED.
GUIDANCE NOTES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF PROPOSALS TO OPERATE THE NEW GSM SYSTEM MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BRANCH OF THE HONG KONG POST OFFICE AT SINCERE BUILDING, FIFTH FLOOR, 173 DES VOEUX ROAD CENTRAL, HONG KONG.
/ALL PROPOSALS