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The public can enjoy better and faster free Wi-Fi service at more government premises with the launch of the Next Generation Government Wi-Fi (GovWiFi) Programme today (December 21).
Addressing the launch ceremony, the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Gregory So, said, "Since its launch in early 2008, the GovWiFi service has been very well received by the public. In the past few years, the number of GovWiFi premises has increased from 30 to 400 with over 2,000 hotspots. The monthly average number of users has also increased substantially from 20,000 to 700,000.
"To meet the strong public demand we initiated the Next Generation GovWiFi Programme to continue with the provision of high quality free government Wi-Fi services to the general public, with service enhancement in a number of aspects," Mr So said.
The new GovWiFi programme will extend its service progressively to include more than 40 new premises.
"The new premises include tourist attractions around Victoria Harbourfront, such as Golden Bauhinia Square, Wan Chai Temporary Promenade, and Kai Tak Cruise Terminal to be commissioned in 2013. This means citizens and tourists can stay connected with the world through the Internet while enjoying the spectacular view of our harbour.
"The new GovWiFi also covers prominent locations like the Kwun Tong Promenade to tie in with the key development project of Energizing Kowloon East," Mr So said.
There are new locations of high patronage including Southorn Playground and MacPherson Playground, as well as new types of premises such as law courts, civic centres and police report rooms to bring more convenience to the public.
Meanwhile, the new service has adopted the latest Wi-Fi technology "IEEE 802.11n" to provide better signal coverage, more stable wireless connections and faster performance.
It also supports the Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6) to enable users to access more websites supporting this new Internet communication standard.
Details of the GovWiFi service and its hotspot locations are available at www.gov.hk/wifi and notice of the launch of new premises will also be disseminated through the GovHK Notifications mobile application.
Ends/Friday, December 21, 2012
Issued at HKT 15:00
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