Opening Remarks by Mr. Stephen Mak, Acting Government Chief Information Officer at the "Ubiquitous City - Asia Forum 2008"
31 October 2008

John (Mr. John CHIU), Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good afternoon! I am pleased to address you at this "Ubiquitous City - Asia Forum 2008". I am particularly delighted to meet distinguished guests from different Asian countries to share with us their valuable ideas and experience on wireless and mobile technologies and developments.

Building Hong Kong into a Wireless City

In Asia, many cities including Hong Kong are making headway towards a ubiquitous computing society. We notice that both Taiwan and Singapore have launched the M-Taiwan and Wireless@SG programmes respectively to promote the development of wireless broadband infrastructure at the metropolitan level. In the Mainland, Shanghai has formally initiated the construction of a wireless city covering the whole Jiading District before the World Expo Shanghai 2010. There are many other examples.

In Hong Kong, our broadband wireless infrastructure, especially Wi-Fi networks, is developing rapidly. Through the Government's GovWiFi Programme and the Housing Authority's Wi-Fi initiative, free Wi-Fi broadband services are now available at some 200 government premises and 150 public rental housing estates. Together with the Wi-Fi networks of telecommunications operators, the public is able to access Wi-Fi broadband services in over 7,300 Wi-Fi hotspots all over Hong Kong. By the middle of next year, the number of government premises with free Wi-Fi access will reach 350.

Services and Applications Delivered Through the Wireless Channel

With the increasing and wide coverage of wireless broadband infrastructure and technology convergence of communications and information technology, there are great business opportunities for delivery of new content and services through the wireless channel. Many value-added services such as multimedia, video and music streaming, instant messaging and other innovative, transactional services are being planned or delivered by the telecommunications operators to ride on the infrastructure.

The Government is fully aware of these developments and indeed many government departments have also started using the mobile and wireless channel to enhance their service delivery.

For example, the Transport Department has launched the Transport Information System (TIS) in July this year, which integrates transport and traffic data into a common, structured format to enable information sharing in a timely and efficient manner. At present, road users can use mobile devices to view the traffic conditions at designated regions, snapshots of various traffic points and the estimated journey times of major transport routes. This will enable road users to make better and more informed choices on their transport needs and create a conducive environment for the private sector to develop value-added services in Hong Kong.

Facilitate the Development and Adoption of Innovative Wireless Applications

In addition to establishing the physical, institutional and legal infrastructure in Hong Kong, the availability of wireless applications, services, digital content and advanced wireless/mobile devices is critical to the development of a wireless city. All along, the Government has been providing funding and sponsorship to academia and supporting organizations on research and development of wireless and mobile technology and solutions. For example, the Government sponsored the "Ubiquitous City - Hong Kong", (U-City) project, which aimed at fostering the development of innovative hotspot applications and stimulate new demands of further innovative hotspot applications. With the joint effort of Government and the private sector, we are happy to see that the pace of wireless/mobile applications development is accelerating.

Healthy Information for a Healthy Mind

While we are developing our wireless broadband infrastructure to allow easy access to the Internet anywhere and anytime, we are also mindful of the threats that are emerging in these powered platforms. Nowadays, our youngsters make frequent use of the Internet for study, research, leisure and making friends. It is equally easy for them to be exposed to information that may not be appropriate for them, such as those with obscene and indecent content. In view of this, Government earlier this month launched a public consultation on the review of the Control of Obscene and Indecent Articles Ordinance. The review covers a wide range of issues, including definitions, the adjudication and classification systems, the impact of new forms of media, enforcement and penalty considerations, publicity and public education. The review has attracted much public interest and debate on the rationale and some of the measures in the regulation of obscene and indecent materials over the Internet. The Government has absolutely no intention to censor online content on the Internet since we regard freedom of expression as one of the fundamental values of Hong Kong and this is also expressly provided under the current legislation. In order to provide appropriate safeguards to protect youngsters from being exposed to obscene or indecent content in the cyber world, we are exploring whether any potential technologies that could be used and especially whether they are applicable to the circumstances in Hong Kong. In doing so, we fully understand we need to strike a balance between maintaining freedom of expression and protecting our young generation. The Government is open to all feedback and comments from the community and relevant industries.

Closing

Ladies and gentlemen, I should stop here as I'm sure you are eager to get on with the rich programme lined-up for you today. I would like to congratulate the Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association and the Hong Kong Wireless Development Centre for their enthusiasm and dedication in organizing this meaningful event. To our overseas participants, I wish you a very enjoyable stay and what Hong Kong has to offer.

Thank you.

- ENDS -