SITB outlines initiatives to make HK a leading digital city

September 27, 2000

The Government is helping Hong Kong's universities to connect to the international Internet2 network, known as the next generation Internet, to enable them to conduct research and development on more advanced and multi-media applications through a high bandwidth link, the Secretary for Information Technology and Broadcasting, Mrs Carrie Yau, said.

Apart from the academia, she believed the IT industry and the community as a whole could also benefit from the establishment of the link and gain advanced knowledge in the development of the next generation Internet protocol.

Addressing the opening of the Hong Kong International Computer Conference 2000 this (September 27) morning, the Secretary stressed that the Government had devoted a lot of efforts and resources to making Hong Kong a leading digital city in the rapidly-evolving Information Age.

She noted that the assistance provided to the universities was one of the initiatives that the Government had embarked on for the further implementation of the "Digital 21 Strategy" which was launched shortly after the establishment of the Information Technology and Broadcasting Bureau in 1998 to build the necessary information infrastructure, and to provide the conducive environment for IT to flourish.

Another initiative taken by the Government is the establishment of community cyberpoints in District Offices, community halls, post offices, etc. to provide public IT facilities to the community.

"We will keep up with the momentum to drive the wider use of IT in the community by launching a large scale 'IT Hong Kong' promotion and awareness campaign which includes the recruitment of IT pioneers, the launching of an IT awareness programs in all 18 districts for the elderly, housewives, new arrivals, disabled, parents and children; a television show highlighting IT; and various related activities organised by District Offices," Mrs Yau said.

On the international front, Hong Kong has entered into bilateral collaborative arrangements with six countries which are advanced in the use of IT, namely Australia, Canada, Finland, India, Israel and the United Kingdom.

"These arrangements underpin a bilateral commitment to promote and facilitate co-operation in the fields of IT and telecommunications. The co-operation envisaged is not only restricted to activities organised by the respective governments, but includes collaboration activities between business, academia and professional bodies in Hong Kong and the signatory countries.

"I would therefore like to encourage you all to make full use of the co-operative framework established under these bilateral arrangements and actively seek co-operation with your counterparts in the signatory countries concerned," Mrs Yau added.

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