ENG-2003 — Page 439

COMMUNICATIONS, THE MEDIA AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Building a Digitally Inclusive Society

The Government encourages citizens to embrace and use IT so as to enhance their quality of life. It will continue to organise various activities and initiatives to promote wider adoption and raise public awareness of IT in the community. These include district IT promotion activities, a dedicated website and 'infotainment' TV programmes to disseminate information on the Government's IT initiatives and latest developments in IT, free IT awareness courses providing basic training to different sectors of the community, over 5 300 public computers with Internet connection across Hong Kong for free use by the public, and a free public enquiry service on the use of basic IT applications called IT Easy Link. All government websites are now in compliance with universal accessibility guidelines so as to facilitate access and navigation by people with visual disabilities.

IT Cooperation

Hong Kong has concluded cooperative arrangements in information and communications technology with 11 countries, namely, Canada, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. The Government has been working closely with these partners under the aegis of such cooperative arrangements to promote and support inter- governmental exchanges, business partnerships, investment cooperation and joint research and development in the areas of IT and telecommunications. It will continue to explore the opportunities of fostering further cooperation in the field of information and communications technology with these partners.

Cyberport

In March 1999, the Financial Secretary announced the Government's intention to develop the Cyberport at Telegraph Bay in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. Being an IT infrastructure, the Cyberport aims to create a strategic cluster of quality IT and IT-related companies. The Cyberport is wholly owned by the Government through three private companies set up under the Financial Secretary Incorporated.

The Cyberport is a comprehensive development comprising 100 000 square metres of Grade A office space, a shopping arcade and a five-star hotel. This commercial portion is scheduled for completion in four phases between mid-2002 and late 2004. The ancillary residential development, to be completed between 2004 and 2007, provides an intelligent home environment for professionals who choose to live near their offices.

By year-end, 26 tenants had signed leases with the Cyberport, taking up 63 per cent of the office space available in the completed Phases I and II. These are companies specialising in IT applications, information services and multimedia content creation. Tenants are admitted based on the advice of a committee comprising local and international experts. Companies such as Microsoft, GXS International, Sybase, PCCW, CSL, ESRI, Centro Digital Pictures and SmarTrust have signed up with the Cyberport.

The University of Hong Kong, together with six corporate/industry partners, has set up a Cyberport Institute in the Cyberport to provide market-driven IT programmes. The campus-like environment of the Cyberport makes it an ideal place for nurturing

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