Hong Kong 3G Launch Set for January

Hong Kong conglomerate Hutchison Whampoa said it will launch its 3G mobile telephone services in the territory next month. The company’s managing director Canning Fok did not give an exact date for the 3G services but announced details on pricing. The company set the price of new 3G handsets at 4,380 Hong Kong dollars (560 US dollars) and monthly subscription fees at 238-558 dollars, Fok told reporters. Hutchison will be the first operator to launch a 3G service in Hong Kong.

“Services will start sometime early in January,” said Canning Fok, group managing director at Hutchison Whampoa. Without specifying an exact date for the service launch, he added the firm is now in the logistics, sales and marketing stage of its 3G launch.

Fok also announced the delivery of one million new handsets from NEC Corp by the end of December with a further 1.5 million to be delivered by end of the first quarter of 2004. Motorola had also promised Hutchison, a further 500,000 units of its 3G handset, he added. These would be made available markets worldwide. Continue >>