XN000022-1990-02-20 — Page 4

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نما

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20, 1990

HE ALSO SAID THAT NEW DIGITAL TECHNIQUES WERE BEING EXAMINED IN THE FIELD OF CELLULAR MOBILE RADIOTELEPHONES, WHICH WOULD PERMIT A HIGHER DENSITY OF RADIOTELEPHONES AND FURTHER IMPROVED PERFORMANCE TO BE PROVIDED IN HONG KONG. THIS, HE SAID, WOULD PROBABLY MATERIALISE IN ABOUT TWO YEARS' TIME.

THE POSTMASTER GENERAL POINTED OUT THAT THE GOVERNMENT HAD IN THE PAST FEW YEARS GRADUALLY AND PROGRESSIVELY DEREGULATED AND INTRODUCED COMPETITION IN THE SUPPLY OF TELFCOMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT AND IN VALUE ADDED NETWORK SERVICES AS THF TELECOMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE REACHED MATURITY.

MR WONG SAID THIS NEW APPROACH HAD BORNE FRUIT AND THE EFFECTS WERE APPARENT.

"FOR EXAMPLE, TODAY OUR SMALL BUT COSMOPOLITAN CITY HAS FOUR CELLULAR MOBILE RADIOTELEPHONE SYSTENS WITH A CAPACITY FOR ABOUT 130,000 USERS; 17 RADIO PAGING OPERATORS CATERING FOR 600,000 SUBSCRIBERS; 80,000 FACSIMILE LINES; A HUGE VARIETY OF VERY EFFICIENT EQUIPMENT AT RELATIVELY LOW PRICES; AND A SECOND, WIRED, TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK SOMETIME NEXT YEAR; HE SAID.

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'AGAINST THIS BACKGROUND OF SUCCESS AND AS FAR AS POSSIBLE, IT IS OUR INTENTION TO CONTINUE WITH THE POLICY OF ALLOWING GREATER AND FAIR COMPETITION, AND WITH THE 'OPEN DOOR' POLICY FOR FOREIGN INVESTMENT IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS FIELD, HE ADDED.

H

NR WONG SAID WITH THE ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN TECHNOLO HONG KONG, THE PACE OF LIFF AND THE STYLE OF OPERATION WERE SUCH THAT TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES AND FACILITIES WERE A NECESSITY IN CONDUCTING DAILY BUSINESS TO RECEIVE VITAL INFORMATION AND TO RESPOND QUICKLY TO SITUATIONS.

NOTING THAT TECHNOLOGICAL PROGRESS IN HONG KONG HAD DEVELOPED DRAMATICALLY IN THE LAST TWO DECADES, HE SAID HONG KONG HAD BECOME AN IMPORTANT FOCAL POINT FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS IN THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION.

TO

"WE MUST NOT BE COMPLACENT AND WELL CONTINUE TO ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR TELECOMMUNICATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES MEET CHANGING NEEDS, MR WONG SAID.

IT

MONOPOLY.

HONG

"LET US NOT FORGET THA IN MANY COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES, TELECOMMUNICATIONS. DEVELOPFD INITIALLY UNDER A FULL KONG WAS NO EXCEPTION.

*THIS APPROACH HAD

DEVELOPMENT

[.

J

ADVANTAGE AND ENSURED THE ORDERT 1

TELEPHONE OF A RELIABLE TEDDOHNT AND RENOWNED INTERNAL

1 AND SERVICE

EXTERNAL

TELEGRAPIL AND TELEX SERVICES AND CIRCUITS FOR HONG KONG, FIL

2

TELEPHONE

PER

EVERY

THERE ARE NOW MORE THAN THREE MELLION TELEPHONES SERVED BY MILLION

HIGHEST DIRECT LINES, GIVING HONG KONG ONE OF THE DENSITIES IN SOUTH-EAST ASIA. THERE ARE 53 TELEPHONES OR 40 LINES 100 POPULATION, WHICH MEANS THERE IS NOW A TELEPHONE IN ALMOST HOUSEHOLD IN HONG KONG.

/"NO WONDER