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After going through the established tendering procedures, the Government has decided to award to PCCW-HKT Network Services Ltd. (PCCW) the provision of Wi-Fi facilities and broadband Internet services at some 350 government premises all over the territory.
"The tender exercise was conducted in accordance with Government's Stores and Procurement Regulations and procedures and international procurement requirements stipulated by the World Trade Organisation. Relevant terms and conditions were put in place to ensure fair competition and value-for-money procurement," a spokesman for the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) said today (November 23).
"The Government adopted a marking scheme, which was specified in the tender, for the tender evaluation. The weighting for technical and price scores was 40:60. The tender proposals for each region were assessed independently and a contract would be awarded to the tenderer who made the best tender to the Government for a region, " he said.
The contractor is required to set up and operate Wi-Fi facilities at all public libraries, job centres, public enquiry centres, key cultural and recreation centres, community halls/centres, large parks and government offices that are frequently visited by the public on Hong Kong Island, in Kowloon Peninsula, the New Territories and Outlying Islands.
"The award of the contract signifies a major milestone in making Hong Kong a wireless city," a spokesman for OGCIO said. "The GovWiFi Programme, in concert with the wireless service provided by the commercial sector in the community, is conducive to the development of wireless and mobile applications and technologies, which in turn facilitates the development of the information and communications technology (ICT) industry and further upholds the status of Hong Kong as a leading digital city."
The contractor is required to complete the implementation of Wi-Fi facilities for about 120 premises by June 2008, and the remaining 230 premises by June 2009. The contractor is responsible for providing Internet access service, on-going network operation and management, security management and helpdesk services for the use of Wi-Fi facilities for a period of five years.
"This programme will not only allow us to enjoy the most advanced and cost-effective services available in the market but also facilitate the development of the ICT industry and the economy of Hong Kong, " the spokesman said.
The public tender for this programme was issued in July this year. The tender covered the provision of Wi-Fi facilities in three regions (namely Hong Kong Island, Kowloon Peninsula, and the New Territories and Outlying Islands). Tenderers were invited to bid for any one region or all regions. The tender specified that the same tenderer may be awarded contracts for more than one region.
"According to the latest statistics published by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority, there are more than 5,000 Wi-Fi hotspots providing public Wi-Fi service in the territory. With the successful roll-out of this programme, we estimate that this figure will be up to about 8,000 by mid 2009, making Hong Kong a leader as a wireless city," the spokesman added.
Ends/Friday, November 23, 2007
Issued at HKT 18:13
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