1871 |
|
Submarine telegraph cables were
landed in Hong Kong at Telegraph Bay in Pokfulam.
| |
1873 |
|
Eastern Extension Australia and
China Telegraph Company was formed and operated links from Madras,
to Darwin, Singapore, Saigon, Hong Kong and Shanghai.
| |
1877 |
|
Telephone was introduced in Hong
Kong, one year after Alexander Graham Bell patented his
invention. | |
1882 |
|
First public telephone service was
introduced into Hong Kong by Oriental Telephone and Electric Company
which later became China and Japan Telephone and Electric Company.
| |
1905 |
|
Cable was laid across Victoria
Harbour to extend telephone services to Kowloon.
| |
1925 |
|
China and Japan Telephone and
Electric Company was taken over by the newly formed Hong Kong
Telephone Company Limited (HKTC). Hong Kong Government granted HKTC
the sole right to supply and operate telephone services in Hong Kong
for a period of 50 years commencing 1 July.
| |
1931 |
|
Telephone service between Hong Kong
and Guangzhou was launched | |
1954 |
|
Leased telegraph circuits were in
operation between Hong Kong and overseas administrations.
| |
1962 |
|
Franchised licence was granted to
Cable & Wireless Limited to provide external telephone and
telegraph circuits and services until 31 December 1987. | |
1968 |
|
Hong Kong Government extended HKTC's
franchise for a further period of 20 years with effect from 1 July
1975. | |
1971 |
|
First public radio paging service
was introduced in Hong Kong by Apollo Telephone Answering Services
Limited. | |
1976 |
|
International Direct Dialing (IDD)
was introduced. | |
1981 |
|
Optical fibre cables were deployed
in the local telephone network by HKTC. |
|
|
|
An exclusive licence with expiry in
2006, covering the provision of a range of external
telecommunications circuits and services, was granted to Cable and
Wireless (Hong Kong) Limited. | |
1984 |
|
First public mobile radiotelephone
service using NAMTS (NEC Advance Mobile Telephone System) was
introduced by Communication Services Limited (CSL), a wholly owned
subsidiary company of HKTC. |
|
|
|
Chinatel was granted a licence to
operate a public car telephone (Comvik) system. |
|
|
|
Hutchison Telephone Company Limited
was granted a licence to operate an AMPS cellular radiotelephone
network. | |
1985 |
|
The interconnection charge for
public mobile radiotelephone service was set at 7 cents per minute.
| |
1987 |
|
CSL was granted a licence to operate
a TACS cellular radiotelephone network. The network was called
UNITACS. | |
1988 |
|
Hutchison Telephone Company Limited
was granted a licence to operate the second TACS cellular
radiotelephone network. |
|
|
|
Hong Kong Telecommunications Limited
formed by merger of Hong Kong Telephone Company Limited and Cable
and Wireless (Hong Kong) Limited. |
|
|
|
Asia Satellite Telecommunications
Company Limited (AsiaSat) was formed and was the first local and
Asia's privately owned satellite operator.
| |
1989 |
|
Chinatel was renamed as Pacific Link
Communications Limited and the subscribers were offered a deal to
change over to a new ETACS cellular radiotelephone network.
| |
1990 |
|
The Hong Kong Telecommunications
Limited was restructured to four wholly-owned operating companies:
Hong Kong Telephone Company Limited, Hong Kong Telecom International
Limited (formerly Cable and Wireless (Hong Kong) Limited), Hong Kong
Telecom CSL Limited and Computasia Limited. |
|
|
|
The first satellite of AsiaSat
(AsiaSat 1) was launched in April. | |
1991 |
|
The interconnection charges for
public mobile radiotelephone services and for value added services
were revised to 9 cents per minute.
| |
1992 |
|
Telepoint (CT2) services were
launched by Hutchison Paging Company Limited and Chevalier
(Telepoint) Limited in March and April respectively. |
|
|
|
The first Frequency Coordination
Agreement between Hong Kong and Guangdong was signed in May.
|
|
|
|
Pacific Link launched its
Digital-AMPS mobile telephone service in October. |
|
|
|
SmartCom Limited was awarded a
licence to operate GSM network. |
|
|
|
The number of paging customers
exceeded 1 million. | |
1993 |
|
Hong Kong's local telephone network
was fully digitalised. |
|
|
|
SmartCom Limited (later became
SmarTone Mobile Communications Limited) launched its GSM system in
January. |
|
|
|
Pacific TeleLink Limited launched
its CT2 service in March. |
|
|
|
Wharf Cable Limited was granted an
exclusive cable television licence in June to operate cable
television services in Hong Kong for 3 years. |
|
|
|
The Office of the Telecommunications
Authority (OFTA) was established on 1 July. |
|
|
|
Hong Kong Telecom CSL launched its
GSM service in July. |
|
|
|
TA took over the control of
telephone numbers. | |
1994 |
|
Fixed telephone exchange lines
exceeded 3 million. |
|
|
|
The number of paging customers
peaked in December. | |
1995 |
|
Telephone numbers were changed from
7 to 8 digits on 1 January. |
|
|
|
Following the expiry of HKTC's
franchise on 30 June, HKTC and three new companies (New World
Telephone Limited, New T&T Hong Kong Limited and Hutchison
Communications Limited) were licensed to provide local fixed
telecommunication services on a competitive basis. |
|
|
|
Hutchison Telephone launched its GSM
and CDMA service in June and October respectively.
| |
1996 |
|
Six licences were issued in
September for provision of personal communication services (PCS).
The licensees were: Hutchison Telephone Company Limited, Mandarin
Communications Limited, New World PCS Limited, Pacific Link
Communications Limited, P Plus Communications Limited and Peoples
Telephone Company Limited. |
|
|
|
All CT-2 networks were shut down and
public CT-2 services were terminated. |
|
|
|
New T&T launched its direct
exchange line service (DEL) to business customers in October. |
|
|
|
New World Telephone offered DEL
services to business and residential customers in January & November respectively. |
|
|
|
HKTC launched the first integrated
services digital network (ISDN) in Hong Kong in October, offering
commercial ISDN basic rate interface (BRI) and primary rate
interface (PRI). |
|
|
|
The first Calling Number Display
(CND) service was introduced in HKTC's fixed network in December.
|
|
|
|
Mobile phone subscribers exceeded 1
million. | |
1997 |
|
Full portability of telephone
numbers was achieved for fixed telephone services in January.
|
|
|
|
Direct exchange line services were
available to business and residential customers from Hutchison
Communications in January. |
|
|
|
Peoples Telephone Company Limited
launched its PCS in January. |
|
|
|
New World and Hutchison joined the
competition in the PCS market in March. |
|
|
|
First licence for provision of
Virtual Private Network Services was issued to BT (Hong Kong)
Limited in May. |
|
|
|
P Plus Communications and Mandarin
Communications launched their PCS in June. |
|
|
|
Pacific Link launched its PCS in
July. |
|
|
|
Calling Name Display (CNAMD) service
was introduced in mid-October. |
|
|
|
Hong Kong Telecom CSL Limited
acquired Pacific Link Communications Limited in December. The
acquisition included the digital cellular phone services (D-Amps),
PCS (GSM1800) and radio paging services. |
|
|
|
Mobile phone subscribers exceeded 2
million. | |
1998 |
|
First licence for provision of
International Simple Resale (ISR) for Fax and Data Services was
issued to City Telecom (HK) Limited in January. |
|
|
|
P Plus Communications Limited, one
of the six PCS operators, was acquired by SmarTone
Telecommunications Holdings Limited in March. |
|
|
|
In March, after lengthy negotiation
with the Government, Hong Kong Telecom International surrendered its
exclusive licence for provision of certain external
telecommunication circuits and services eight years earlier than the
scheduled expiry in 2006 in return for a cash compensation of HK$6.7
billion. |
|
|
|
Analogue mobile phone service was
completely phased out. Mobile service began fully digitalised.
|
|
|
|
The Hong Kong Telecommunications
Equipment Evaluation and Certification (HKTEC) Scheme was launched
in September. | |
1999 |
|
The external telecommunications
services market was liberalised with effect from 1 January. External
telecommunications services operators were allowed to refile traffic
through Hong Kong between locations at the distant ends of Category
A routes (routes include those over which it would be possible for
genuine price competition to occur through direct ISR connection,
indirect routing through refiling, direct physical connection
through competitive external gateway facilities or such connection
indirectly established via transit arrangements). |
|
|
|
Mobile Number Portability was
implemented on 1 March. |
|
|
|
In August, Hong Kong reached an
agreement with Australia, Singapore and Chinese Taipei on
implementation of APEC TEL MRA Phase I Procedures which facilitates
mutual recognition of test reports. |
|
|
|
The number of Internet dial-up
customers exceeded 1 million in August. |
|
|
|
The number of mobile phone
subscribers exceeded 3 million in February and surpassed the number
of fixed telephone lines in November.
| |
2000 |
|
In January, the telecommunications
market was fully liberalised after the liberalisation of the
external facility-based market. Five licences for local fixed
telecommunication network services using wireless means, twelve
satellite-based external FTNS licences and four cable-based external
FTNS licences were issued. Hong Kong Cable TV was issued a licence
to provide telecommunications services over its hybrid fibre coaxial
cable (HFC) networks. |
|
|
|
Mobile phone subscribers exceeded 4 million in
January. |
|
|
|
Hong Kong Broadband Network Limited, one of the
five wireless local fixed network licensees, launched its services
in February. |
|
|
|
The number of Internet dial-up customers
exceeded 2 million in April. |
|
|
|
The Telecommunication (Amendment) Ordinance 2000
was passed by the Legislative Council in June. Major amendments
include enhancing the competition safeguards for the
telecommunications industry, improving the interconnection and
access to land and buildings for the establishment of
telecommunications equipment for the telecommunications operators,
streamlining the licensing framework to respond more flexibly to
market development and providing powers to the TA on certain
technical matters (e.g. numbering plan and technical
standards). |
|
|
|
In June, AsiaSat was awarded a licence to launch
and operate a satellite (AsiaSat 4) carrying the four Broadcasting
Satellite Service (BSS) channels assigned to Hong
Kong. |
|
|
 |
Pacific Century CyberWorks acquired Cable &
Wireless HKT in August (Hong Kong Telecommunications Limited changed
its name to Cable & Wireless HKT Limited in July
1999). |
|
|
 |
Mobile phone subscribers exceeded 5
million in October. |
|
|
 |
In November, a new Frequency Coordination
Agreement was signed between Hong Kong and Guangdong on procedures
and standards for coordinating terrestrial radiocommunications
services in the frequency band from 30 MHz to 40
GHz |
|
|
 |
Cable-based external FTNS operator
Level 3 Communications Limited announced that the first leg of its
pan-Asia submarine cable system was landed in Hong Kong in
November. | |
2001 |
|
Cable-based external FTNS operator
Asia Global Crossing Hong Kong Limited announced that its submarine
cable "East Asia Crossing" had landed in Hong Kong in January. |
|
|
|
Cable-based external FTNS operator
China Unicom International Limited had completed its overland cable
between Hong Kong and mainland China and launched services in the
first quarter. |
|
|
|
Asia Pacific Cable Network 2 landed
in Hong Kong in February. It will connect the Mainland China, Hong
Kong, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and
Taiwan. |
|
|
|
A new automatic direction-finding
system to monitor radio channels and locate sources of interference
in and around Hong Kong was installed in the Radio Monitoring Unit
of OFTA. |
|
|
|
Broadband Internet customers
exceeded 0.44 million in March, representing a five-fold increase
within one year. |
|
|
|
The Telecommunications (Carrier
Licences) Regulation was brought into effect on 1 April, introducing
a more effective and efficient licensing regime for carrier
licence. |
|
|
|
Mobile phone subscribers exceeded
5.5 million in April, representing an 80% penetration of the
population. |
|
|
|
The Telecommunications (Amendment)
Ordinance 2001 was enacted by the Legislative Council in May. The
major amendment is to empower the Secretary for Information
Technology and Broadcasting and the TA to conduct auctions or
tenders for the use of spectrum. Such provision is necessary for the
licensing of third generation mobile services (3G) and future
exercises involving auctions or tenders. |
|
|
|
The C2C submarine cable network
landed at Chung Hom Kok in July. The submarine link will connect
Hong Kong, Philippines, Taiwan and Singapore. |
|
|
|
Licensing for third generation
mobile service was completed in October with the award of licences
to four successful bidders: Hong Kong CSL Limited, Hutchison 3G HK
Limited, SmarTone 3G Limited and SUNDAY 3G (Hong Kong) Limited. In
accordance with the 3G regulatory framework, the network licensees
are required to open up at least 30 per cent of their capacity for
use by non-affiliated Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) and/or
content and service providers. |
|
|
|
Inter-operator Short Message Service
was launched by all six mobile network operators in December,
allowing a customer to send short message to other customers even
they are in different networks. |
|
|
|
In December, the capacity of
external telecommunications facilities, namely the cable and
satellite systems, recorded a tremendous increase over the year from
18 Gbps to 235 Gbps. The increase in bandwidth was mainly attributed
to the new submarine cable capacity brought in Hong Kong by the
cable-based external FTNS operators.
| |
2002 |
|
In January, the TA announced details
on the implementation of the policy to fully liberalize the FTNS
market from 1 January 2003 with no pre-set limit on the number of
licences to be issued. |
|
|
|
In March, the number of broadband Internet
customers reached 716,000, representing more than 10% of
population. |
|
|
|
Asia's first Mutlimedia Messaging Services (MMS)
was launched in Hong Kong by Hong Kong CSL in
April. |
|
|
|
In June, the Billing and Metering Integrity
Scheme was announced by the TA. Operators will be required to comply
with the billing and metering integrity standards and requirements
by 1 January, 2003. |
|
|
|
Hong Kong was ranked top of the Mobile/Internet
index rankings by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) in
its report - "Internet for a Mobile Generation" released in
September 2002. |
|
|
|
In October, the Class Licence for In-Building
Telecommunications System was introduced. It was the first class
licence created after the introduction of the class licence system
into the telecommunications regulatory regime by the
Telecommunication (Amendment) Ordinance 2000. |
|
|
|
Inter-operator Multi-media Messaging Service was
launched by mobile network operators in December, allowing customers
to send multi-media messages to customers in different
networks. | |
|

|
The telecommunications market was fully
liberalised. Further competition was introduced with more fixed
telecommunication operators licensed to provide services from
January 2003. |
|
|

|
The number of broadband Internet customers
exceeded one million in January. |
|
|

|
In January, the Class Licence for the provision
of Public Wireless Local Area Network (LAN) Services was introduced.
The Class Licence will provide a streamlined licensing regime for
operators to run public wireless LAN services without the need for
individual licence application or approval. |
|
|

|
In April, the AsiaSat 4 satellite which carries
the four Broadcasting Satellite Service (BSS) channels assigned to
Hong Kong was successfully launched. The transponders on board the
satellite may be used to provide telecommunications and broadcasting
coverage across the Asia region. |
|
|
 |
In September, the number of
broadband Internet customers reached 1.16 million and exceeded that
of dial-up Internet customers. |
|
|
 |
The penetration rate of mobile
subscribers exceeded 100%, attributing to the increase of usage of
pre-paid SIM cards. | |
|
|
2005 |
In January, OFTA introduced a framework under which quality of service (QoS) information on residential broadband Internet service will be available to consumers for making informed choices.
OFTA announced its decision in January to lift the prior - approval requirement on PCCW-HKT Telephone Limited's prices via the issue of a new Fixed Carrier Licence, shifting from the ex ante to the ex post regulation approach. The lifting of the prior-approval requirement has given the company greater flexibility in responding to market competition.
APT Satellite Company Limited launched APSTAR VI in April, the eighth satellite licensed by Hong Kong.
The Telecommunications (Telecommunications Apparatus) (Exemption from Licensing) (Amendment) Order came into effect on 15 April. The Order expanded and updated the telecommunications apparatus exempted from licensing to reflect technological advancement and market situation.
PCCW Limited purchased a majority share of SUNDAY Communications Limited in June.
SUNDAY 3G (Hong Kong) Limited launched its 3G services in June.
|
2006 |
A Class Licence for Citizen Band Radio was created in January to facilitate public use of the radio operating in the 26.96-27.41MHz band for recreational and other communications purposes.
A new Services-Based Operator (SBO) Licence for the provision of Internet Protocol (IP) telephony services was introduced in January.
China Mobile (Hong Kong) Limited acquired China Resources Peoples Telephone Company Limited in March and renamed it to China Mobile Peoples Telephone Company Limited.
A joint venture company, CSL New World Mobility Limited was created in April to own two mobile telephone operators, New World PCS Limited and Hong Kong CSL Limited.
The first High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) mobile broadband network that provides a data speed of 1.8Mbps with full coverage in Hong Kong was launched in June.
The number of 3G subscribers exceeded 1 million in July.
The number of households covered by at least two self-built customer access networks increased to 76% of the total number of households in October.
The ITU TELECOM WORLD 2006 was held in Hong Kong in December. This is the first time since its inauguration in 1971 that an ITU TELECOM WORLD event is held outside Geneva.
|
2007 |
IPTV customers exceeded 800,000 and household penetration exceeded 35% in January.
The class licensing regime to regulate the resellers of telecommunications services came into effect on 2 February.
The new Spectrum Policy Framework (SPF) and the first Spectrum Release Plan were announced in April. Under the SPF, market-based approach for the management of radio spectrum would be employed as far as possible. The publication of the Plan was also for increasing the transparency of the supply of radio spectrum.
The consultation on "Deregulation of Fixed-Mobile Convergence" was concluded in April whereby a Statement was issued to make the decisions on, among other things, the withdrawal of the current regulatory guidance on fixed mobile interconnection charge arrangement which assumes an approach of "Mobile Party's Network Pays" (MPNP).
The Unsolicited Electronic Messages Ordinance (UEMO) came into force on 1 June and was fully implemented on 22 December. Three Do-not-call Registers for faxes, short messages and pre-recorded telephone messages were activated in phases.
On 4 June, the Telecommunications Authority announced to adopt the National Standard as the technical standard for the digital terrestrial television (DTT) service in Hong Kong. According to the plan, the existing two broadcasters should simulcast both digital and analogue terrestrial television before the end of 2007.
The universal service obligation of PCCW-HKT Limited was reviewed to exclude the services for buildings with at least one alternative fixed customer-access network in June.
Hong Kong was a world leader in the rollout of public WiFi service with more than 7,300 hotspots in operation in 4,400 locations in September.
The number of mobile service subscribers in Hong Kong soared to a record high of 10 million in October.
In December, the first phase of DTT services was implemented covering 50% of the population in Hong Kong.
|
2008 |
According to a report published by the FTTH Councils of Asia Pacific, Europe and North America in February 2008, with a household penetration of 23.4%, Hong Kong ranked second in the world in the penetration of fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) and fibre-to-the-building (FTTB) plus local area networks.
In May, the TA announced the detailed licensing arrangements for the new Unified Carrier Licence (UCL), which enables facility-based operators to provide fixed, mobile or converged services under a single and flexible licensing framework.
Complete withdrawal of mandatory Type II interconnection at the telephone exchange level in July.
The coverage of DTT services continued to expand to cover 75% of the Hong Kong population in August.
In November, PCCW launched CDMA2000 mobile services in Hong Kong. This was the fifth 3G mobile network which further strengthens Hong Kongˇ¦s strategic position as a gateway between the Mainland China and the world.
|