XN000022-1991-02-27 — Page 17

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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1991

THE PAST TO GRANT MRS CHAN

THAT IN DECIDING IN EXPLAINED

PROVIDE CERTAIN EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS TO PARTICULAR PRIVATE COMPANIES TO

THAT BASIC SERVICES, THE GOVERNMENT'S OBJECTIVE HAD BEEN TO ENSURE

SUCH AS LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL VOICE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES,

AT REASONABLE WERE AVAILABLE TO ALL WHO WANTED THEM, AND

TELEPHONY, COST.

AS

BEEN ALERT TO THE "AT THE SAME

THE GOVERNMENT HAS TIME, BENEFITS OF ENCOURAGING THE COMPETITIVE PROVISION OF SERVICES SUCH PUBLIC RADIO PAGING, MOBILE RADIOTELEPHONE AND VARIOUS

FROM CAN BENEFIT

THE THE CONSUMER THAT INNOVATIONS AND THE WIDE RANGE OF PRODUCTS NOW

F

SERVICES TECHNOLOGICAL MARKET, SHE SAID.

SO

VALUE-ADDED

LATEST ON THE

COULD

MRS CHAN POINTED OUT THAT THE SUCCESS OF GOVERNMENT'S BE MEASURED BY THE FACT THAT THE TERRITORY NOW HAD A PENETRATION RATE OF ABOUT SIX PER 10 PEOPLE, COMPARABLE TO THE MAJOR DEVELOPED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD.

TERRITORIES ARE

NOW

"207 COUNTRIES AND INTERNATIONAL DIRECT DIALING (IDD).

POLICIES TELEPHONE

A RATE WHICH WAS

ACCESSIBLE THROUGH

WE HAVE IN

"WITH ONE RADIO PAGING SUBSCRIBER PER EIGHT PERSONS, THE HIGHEST PER CAPITA SUBSCRIPTION RATE FOR RADIO PAGING SERVICES THE WORLD,

HAND HELD PORTABLE "WE ALSO HAVE THE HIGHEST PROPORTION OF

THE RADIOTELEPHONES IN ANY SIZEABLE CELLULAR RADIOTELEPHONE MARKET IN WORLD, SHE SAID.

"

HOWEVER,

MRS CHAN

SAID

THAT

DESPITE

THESE IMPRESSIVE

TO

INDICATORS, IT WAS VITAL THAT GOVERNMENT POLICIES SHOULD CONTINUE BE FORWARD LOOKING.

"RAPID TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES MAKE THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS FIELD EXCEPTIONALLY DYNAMIC.

ITS ROLE AS AN IMPORTANT MAINTAIN ΤΟ IS "IF HONG KONG

CONSUMERS CONTINUE TO HUB,

WE MUST ENSURE THAT TELECOMMUNICATIONS BENEFIT FROM THE AVAILABILITY OF THE WIDEST POSSIBLE RANGE OF SERVICES AND AT THE LOWEST POSSIBLE COST," SHE SAID.

AND

MRS CHAN SAID THAT ACCORDINGLY, THE GOVERNMENT HAD COMMISSIONED LATEST A TEAM OF OVERSEAS CONSULTANTS TO UPdate the GOVERNMENT ON THE

OF THE DEVELOPMENT

REGULATION TRENDS IN INTERNATIONAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AND TO SUGGEST TO THE GOVERNMENT HOW THESE TRENDS MIGHT BE RELEVANT TO THE FUTURE DEVELOPMENT OF SERVICES IN HONG KONG.

SHE

ADVICE WILL MAKE A "I AM CONFIDENT THAT THE CONSULTANTS' VALUABLE CONTRIBUTION TO THE GOVERNMENT'S THINKING IN THIS AREA, SAID,

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