SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings said Wednesday it will launch third-generation mobile phone multimedia services in Hong Kong in the second half of this year.

SmarTone Chief Executive Officer Douglas Li said his company would be spending less than the previously estimated 1.5 billion Hong Kong dollars (US$192 million) on the launch, because the price of 3G equipment has dropped. He didn't give the exact date the service would begin.

The term 3G refers to mobile technologies that provide services such as high-speed Internet access, and high-quality video and music services.

SmarTone is among four Hong Kong mobile phone companies licensed to provide 3G services.

The other three are Hutchison Whampoa Ltd., Sunday Communications Ltd., and Hong Kong CSL Ltd., owned by Australia's Telstra Corp. All four have announced their intentions to offer the services.

Hutchison, controlled by Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing, who is not related to SmartTone's Douglas Li, said last month that it would start its 3G service sometime this month after several delays.

Hutchison had originally set a launch date in early 2003, then pushed it back to August, and subsequently delayed it again because of because a shortage in available mobile phone handsets.

``SmarTone has had no delays or deferments to its plans to launch 3G,'' Douglas Li said.

Close

Today's Top News		Top Business News
+Illegal immigrants to work legally in US ( 2004-01-07) +SARS patient to be discharged from hospital ( 2004-01-07) +Premier demands licensing reforms ( 2004-01-07) +Constitutional amendment paves way for Emergency Law ( 2004-01-07) +'Shock and awe' at images from Mars ( 2004-01-07)		+SmarTone announces plans for 3G launch in Hong Kong ( 2004-01-07) +Survey shows China business confidence keeps rising ( 2004-01-07) +First zero tariff HK goods under CEPA shipped to mainland ( 2004-01-07) +Sino-German auto maker rolls out 1 million cars ( 2004-01-07) +News Analysis: China's "big four" eye commercial banks in real sense ( 2004-01-07)