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Hong
Much is said about the advantages to the customer of an all digital telephone network. In truth, not all customers by far have a real need for digital facilities. However, in Hong Kong today, any customer requiring an all digital service can be provided with it on demand. Kong Telephone have invested, and continue to invest, in the expansion. and modernisation of the telecommunications network, and current plans are for the entire system in Hong Kong to be digital by 1993. Already the telecommunications network contains a large quantity of optical fibre cable which forms what is probably the largest urban optical fibre network in the world. Services available to the business community include telephone, data transmission, telex, message switching, facsimile, private networks, paging and mobile radio telephones. The latter two services are examples of services provided by a number of competing companies, including a subsidiary of the Hong Kong Telecom Group.
The Telegram Service is still available in Hong Kong because it is still a major means of communicating with people in China.
Hong Kong has a well developed facsimile service, by any world standard. Hong Kong Telecom provides facsimile users with a high grade service, including a machine and line fault diagnostic service and information services thought to be unique.
Hong Kong Telephone has an exclusive franchise from the Hong Kong Government to operate the telephone network until 1995 and Cable and Wireless (Hong Kong) holds an exclusive licence to operate the international services until the year 2006. Government recently engaged consultants to review the territory's telecommunications arrangements and to assess options open to the Government to satisfy the future telecommunications needs of the territory. This study was triggered by competing interests in the provision of cable television services in Hong Kong.
One of the interested parties (Hutchison CableVision consortium) has also stated that it would construct its own distribution network and that it intended operating telecommunications services over that cable television network. The consortium is led by Hutchison Telephone, a subsidiary of Hutchison Whampoa headed by Mr. Li Ka Shing. Other members of the consortium include British Telecom and local film magnate, Sir Run Run Shaw. The other major contender for a cable television licence is a consortium which is an associated company of Hong Kong Telecom. It would distribute its cable television service via the Hong Kong Telephone network if awarded the licence.
Hong Kong Telecom encourages the liberalisation and competitive supply policy of customer equipment and of telecommunications services. Indeed, this policy was initiated by the company some years ago. However, Hong Kong Telecom believes that it makes economic sense in a territory as small as Hong Kong to retain only one telephone service and one telecommunications network, over which all telecommunications services, including competing services and cable television, could operate.
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