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November 5, 1999
Hutchison Telecom to Upgrade
Networks for Internet Access
Dow Jones Newswires
HONG KONG -- Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong) Ltd.
plans to invest 800 million Hong Kong dollars (US$102.9 million) to
upgrade its two mobile-phone networks and to develop mobile
Internet-access facilities.
The telecommunications arm of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd. also said it plans
to roll out this month Wireless Application Protocol services, a form of
mobile access to the Internet, on its Orange mobile-phone network.
Customers of the other Hutchison mobile phone network, Xin Gan Xian,
will receive Internet access through their WAP handsets in the first quarter
of 2000.
Hutchison Telecom plans to use the HK$800 million to develop
high-speed data transmission technology, recruit new network facilities,
ungrade software and carry out service application research, said Stephen
Ngan, the company's director of sales and marketing.
Customers of the two networks will need a WAP handset to obtain
information and execute transactions over the Internet. Hutchison Telecom
said the WAP technology works well with most handsets made by leading
cellular-phone manufacturers.
Mr. Ngan added that Hutchison Telecom plans to work with various
commercial, entertainment and lifestyle content providers to provide
customers with more comprehensive services through its mobile networks.
Separately, Hutchison Telecommunications Australia Ltd. said it signed a
five-year mobile telephone agreement with Telstra Corp., Australia's
largest telecommunications provider.
Hutchison is building a 500-million-Australian-dollar ($321.5 million) Code
Division Multiple Access, or CDMA, network for mobile phones in the
greater Sydney and Melbourne areas. The company has a license to use
the branding of United Kingdom-based Orange PLC. The network is
scheduled to be fully working in the first half of next year.
The contract will allow roaming from Hutchison's network to Telstra's
CDMA network in the two cities, Hutchison said.
Financial details of the contract weren't disclosed. Hutchison said technical
development is continuing and it expects roaming will be available by the
middle of next year. Under the agreement, Hutchison will also be able to
resell Telstra's CDMA service throughout Australia.
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