The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (OFTA) has announced that PCCW-HKT has launched CDMA2000-based mobile services in Hong Kong today (20 November). A statement from the regulator says, ‘This is the fifth 3G mobile network in Hong Kong , in addition to the four W-CDMA networks licensed in 2001. At service launch, the new network offers high speed data and voice services conforming to the CDMA2000 standard in the ’golden bowl’ areas covering the Kowloon peninsula and the northern part of Hong Kong Island. The service coverage will be further extended to cover places such as the airport, Mass Transit Railway stations, the road tunnels and border control points.’
In August 2007 OFTA invited applications to bid for 850MHz radio spectrum for the provision of CDMA2000 services. In November 2007 PCCW-HKT was announced as the successful bidder for the 15-year licence, and it was required to launch commercial services by 20 November 2008. PCCW-HKT is PCCW Group’s domestic fixed line and broadband division; its cellular division PCCW Mobile (formerly Sunday Communications) operates GSM and W-CDMA networks in Hong Kong.