XN000022-1994-11-16 — Page 38

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1994

14

INFORMATION HIGHWAY DEVELOPMENT

* * * * *

THE

FOLLOWING IS A QUESTION BY DR THE HON HUANG CHEN-YA AND A REPLY BY THE SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC SERVICES, MR GORDON SIU, IN LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY):

QUESTION IN VIEW :

OF THE TREND TOWARDS DEVELOPMENT OF INFORMATION HIGHWAY SYSTEMS IN MANY COUNTRIES, WILL GOVERNMENT INFORM THIS COUNCIL OF THE FOLLOWING:

(A)

(B)

WHETHER THE TERRITORY IS LAGGING BEHIND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH SYSTEMS; IF SO, HOW HAS IT AFFECTED THE TERRITORY'S COMPETITIVENESS IN THE REGION AND

WHAT MEASURES WILL THE GOVERNMENT TAKE TO ENSURE THAT POLICIES IN THIS AREA WILL BE FORMULATED AND IMPLEMENTED?

REPLY:

MR PRESIDENT,

THE

TERM "INFORMATION HIGHWAY" DESCRIBES AN ADVANCED INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE WITH NETWORKS LINKING HOMES, BUSINESSES, GOVERNMENT AND INSTITUTIONS TO A WIDE RANGE OF INTERACTIVE SERVICES, FROM DATA BANKS, ELECTRONIC COMMERCE, BANKING AND BUSINESS SERVICES TO EDUCATION, CULTURAL SERVICES, ENTERTAINMENT, TELEMEDICINE AND SOCIAL SERVICES, AND THE THEORY IS, ALL AVAILABLE THE TOUCH OF ONE BUTTON OR KEY.

INFORMATION

HIGHWAY

LINKS

AT

THE

EXISTING

CABLE, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, BROADCASTING, SATELLITE AND COMPUTING NETWORKS INTO A FULLY INTERCONNECTED "NETWORK OF NETWORKS". IT MAKES USE OF THE MUCH LARGER CAPACITY AND HIGH TRANSMISSION SPEED OF FIBRE OPTICS AND DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY AND THE CONVERGENCE OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS, BROADCASTING AND COMPUTER TECHNOLOGIES AND CAN TRANSFORM HOW BUSINESS IS CONDUCTED AND HOW PEOPLE COMMUNICATE IN FUTURE. HONOURABLE MEMBERS MAY ASK WHETHER ANY COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CONSTRUCTED AN INFORMATION HIGHWAY. THE ANSWER IS NO, NOT YET, BUT ALL INDUSTRIALISED NATIONS HAVE PUBLISHED POLICIES WHICH ARE MOVING TOWARDS THAT DIRECTION.

/TURNING TO