The year 2022 marks the 10th anniversary of the Communications Authority (CA).
To commemorate this special milestone,
we have established this thematic website with an aim of sharing with our stakeholders and
the public significant developments of the communications sector and
the work that has been done by the CA in the past decade.
We will also shed light on the way forward and embrace the new decade ahead.
The CA was established on 1 April 2012 as a unified regulator
for more effective oversight of Hong Kong's telecommunications and broadcasting sectors
which were continuously evolving through technological advancements and media convergence.
Our mission is to provide a favourable regulatory environment which is conducive to
innovation and investment in the communications sector.
Whilst maintaining a market of fair competition,
we also focus on promoting consumer interests and at the same time enhancing
Hong Kong's position as the communications hub in the Asia Pacific region.
Hong Kong possesses one of the most dynamic and competitive communications markets in the world.
In the past decade, the local communications market has undergone extensive changes and developments.
We have seen the transition from the third generation (3G) to the fourth generation (4G) mobile technology,
and now we have further moved into the fifth generation (5G) era with the launch of commercial 5G services
on 1 April 2020. During 2019 to 2021, the CA has released a total of 2 130 MHz of new spectrum
in various frequency bands to the market for the provision of public 5G services.
Thanks to the dedicated efforts of the telecommunications operators in rolling out their networks,
5G coverage in Hong Kong now exceeds 90% of the population,
one of the highest in the world according to an international survey released in March 2022.
The penetration of 5G services has reached 41% as of January 2022. At the same time,
the mobile service market as a whole continues to grow rapidly,
with total subscription reaching 24.8 million as of January 2022.
The penetration rate of 323% of population is one of the highest in the world.
Our overall telecommunications infrastructure has also continued to develop with over
80% of local households now served by fibre networks and the equipped capacity of external
telecommunications facilities increased over 20 times in the past decade to a total of 152 676 Gbps
as of December 2021.
From the broadcasting side,
Hong Kong entered the era of full digital television broadcasting on 1 December 2020,
and members of the public are now able to enjoy premium TV viewing
experience with more choices of programme channels.
Thanks to Hong Kong's "open sky" policy,
we have enabled the reception of a wide range of satellite television programmes
from around the world in keeping with its status as
a broadcasting hub in the Asia Pacific region.
You are invited to refer to the “Milestones” of this thematic website to
learn more about the significant developments in the communications market in the past ten years.
Landmark statistics which showcase milestones of market growth can also be
referred to in the column “Landmark Statistics of Developments”.
Looking forward, the CA will keep regulatory regimes up-to-date taking into account
worldwide trends in telecommunications and have the spectrum planning in line with
the developments at international and regional levels.
Among others, suitable spectrum in different frequency bands will be timely
released to meet the needs of emerging radiocommunications services and
facilitating the on-going development of 5G and other innovative services in Hong Kong.
We will continue to facilitate the establishment of
external telecommunications facilities so as to enhance
Hong Kong's position as the regional communications hub.
The broadcasting industry faces significant challenges
from competition from the increasingly popular Internet-based media services.
There have been changes in the way in which public viewers receive broadcasting
contents from both traditional broadcasting services as well
as online and on-demand services.
We will continue to keep pace with advancements of infotainment media services
as well as changes in audience behaviour,
and strike a right balance between providing a more
conducive business environment to the industry
and protecting the interests of the audience.
To conclude, I would like to take this opportunity
to extend my heartfelt thanks to all the support given by our stakeholders,
in particular our licensees.
They have been striving to provide members of the public a service of
excellence in communications,
whilst maintaining a strong commitment to collaborating with the CA
in the promotion of consumer interests.
I would also like to express my gratitude to the members
and ex-members of the CA, as well as my predecessors,
for their invaluable contributions and advice over the years.
Finally, I would like to express my thanks to the relentless
efforts of the colleagues of the Office of the Communications Authority,
the executive arm of the CA, in supporting the work of the CA.
I am confident that with their dedication and professionalism,
the CA will continue to strengthen Hong Kong's position as the communications hub
in the Asia Pacific region.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy the content of this website!
