XN000022-1994-11-16 — Page 39

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1994

THAT

TURNING TO HONG KONG, I WOULD LIKE TO ASSURE HONOURABLE MEMBERS WE ARE IN NO WAY LAGGING BEHIND IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMATION HIGHWAY. ON THE CONTRARY, WE ARE WELL UP WITH THE MOST ADVANCED COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD. IN HONG KONG WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE FIBRE OPTIC NETWORKS IN THE WORLD AND THE FIRST FULLY DIGITALISED TELEPHONE SYSTEM, CAPABLE OF DELIVERING THE MOST ADVANCED FORM OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION SERVICES. MORE THAN 300 OF OUR COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS HAVE BEEN CONNECTED DIRECTLY ONTO THIS OPTICAL FIBRE NETWORK. IN ADDITION, THERE IS A SEPARATE NETWORK BEING BUILT AND EXTENDED BY OUR CABLE TELEVISION COMPANY. BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, THIS NETWORK WILL REACH MORE THAN 1.1 MILLION HOMES. THE COMPANY HAS PLANS TO GRADUALLY REPLACE THE NETWORK WITH FIBRE OPTICS IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS. FROM MID-1995, THROUGH COMPETITION IN LOCAL FIXED NETWORK SERVICES, WE EXPECT TO SEE A RAPID MOVE TOWARDS BRINGING OPTICAL FIBRE TECHNOLOGY TO INDIVIDUAL HOMES AND OFFICES AND THE INTRODUCTION OF A WHOLE RANGE OF NEW AND INNOVATIVE SERVICES, SUCH AS PERSONAL NUMBERING FOR THE TELEPHONE, ADVANCED DATA AND VIDEO COMMUNICATION SERVICES AND SO ON.

OUR TELECOMMUNICATIONS POLICY OBJECTIVE IS TO ENSURE THAT THE WIDEST RANGE OF QUALITY TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES BEING MADE AVAILABLE TO THE COMMUNITY AT REASONABLE COST. THE PRO-COMPETITION POLICY WE HAVE ADOPTED HAS ENABLED HONG KONG TO ENJOY ONE OF THE MOST SOPHISTICATED AND ADVANCED INFRASTRUCTURES IN THE WORLD. WE WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE THIS POLICY. SPECIFICALLY, WE WILL CONTINUE TO -

* PROMOTE COMPETITION IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS THE BEST

MODE TO ENCOURAGE INVESTMENT AND STIMULATE INNOVATION;

CREATE A FLEXIBLE REGULATORY FRAMEWORK TO KEEP PACE WITH TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENTS;

ENCOURAGE

INTERCONNECTION

AND PROVIDE OPEN ACCESS TO

THE

NETWORKS; AND

*

ENSURE THAT SERVICES CAN BE UTILISED BY ALL SECTORS OF COMMUNITY,

THE

TO BUILD THE

WE BELIEVE, MR PRESIDENT, THAT THIS IS THE WAY INFORMATION HIGHWAY THAT WILL TAKE HONG KONG TO THE NEXT CENTURY.

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