[Hong Kong---ON DEMAND]
Full Commercial Launch in November.
Interactive multimedia network in Hong Kong...........
japanbiztech.com
Multimedia Services to Debut in
Hong Kong
October 22, 1997 (HONG KONG) -- Hong Kong is set to
become the first place in the world to have broad-based
commercial broadband interactive multimedia services, according to
William Lo, managing director of Hongkong Telecom IMS Ltd.
Hongkong Telecom IMS is a subsidiary of Hongkong Telecom, which
used to hold the monopoly on telecom services in the special
administrative region of China.
Trials of interactive TV (formerly known as video-on-demand) in 100
households began in July 1997 and music-on-demand was launched in
September.
The full commercial launch of the services is scheduled in November,
when home shopping also will be available.
This will be followed by the launch of network games in January 1998
and by home banking, ticketing services and broadband Internet
services in March/April 1998.
Lo said Hong Kong has favorable conditions for launching interactive
multimedia services, such as its appropriate geographies and
demographics, all-digital telecommunications infrastructure,
sophisticated market demand and the absence of CATV operators.
Interactive TV will be the core part of the new services. There will be
100-150 hours of video per week, of which 75 percent will be movies.
The interactive multimedia services will be delivered to customers via a
broadband ATM network operated by Hongkong Telecom.
The fiber line will be connected to the bases of buildings and to homes
via existing copper lines.
The video is compressed and decompressed using MPEG II
technology.
Lo said that since its start in 1994, his company has invested HK$1
billion (US$130 million) in the project, including a HK$120 million
Digital Media Center.
He said interactive multimedia services are targeted mainly at the upper
middle class as well as at businesses and enterprises.
The target is 300,000 customers within two years. Charges initially
have been fixed at a one-time installation fee of HK$300 (US$39), plus
a monthly rental of more than HK$200, including the set-top box.
Many of the services are available for free, but customers can expect to
pay HK$20-30 for each movie they watch.
Keyword: Digital Media Center
Said to be the most advanced in Asia-Pacific region, the center is
equipped with digital post-production facilities for audio and video
editing and digital compression. This is where movies and other
programs are compressed and decompressed before delivery to
customers through the servers and the ATM network.
(Keith Chan, Asia BizTech Correspondent) |
