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The Digital 21 Strategy Advisory Committee today (May 21) welcomed the Government's plan to provide Wi-Fi facilities at Government premises which is expected to bring benefits to citizens, the commercial sector, the information and communications technology (ICT) industry, the Government and Hong Kong as a whole.
The Government announced in February this year its plan to provide Wi-Fi facilities at about 350 Government premises for free use by the public at an estimated non-recurrent expenditure of $210 million in the coming two years with services to be provided at premises frequently visited by members of the public in the first year.
Whilst the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer (OGCIO) will centrally oversee, coordinate and manage the programme, the Government adopts an outsourcing approach on the installation of Wi-Fi facilities, provision of Wi-Fi services as well as their on-going operations.
Members of the Advisory Committee at today's meeting noted that the new programme will bring benefits in many ways. Members of the public, including overseas visitors, visiting the Government premises concerned may access the Internet conveniently if they so wish free-of-charge. The wider availability of Wi-Fi networks will also facilitate the delivery of e-government services through the wireless and mobile channel. The new initiative will help uphold Hong Kong's status as a leading digital city.
Outsourcing the implementation and operation of the programme will bring new business opportunities to the local ICT industry. The programme is also expected to stimulate the development of wireless and mobile applications which will be conducive to the development of the ICT industry and the wider economy.
In response to commercial concerns on Government's provision of free Wi-Fi services in specified public parks, the Advisory Committee noted that the three parks to be covered under the programme only formed an insignificant part of the public areas in Hong Kong which are opened to commercial provision of wireless and mobile services. The Government believed that the Wi-Fi initiative would encourage development of wireless and mobile applications and usage of the wireless and mobile channels, to the benefit of the industry and Hong Kong as a whole.
At the meeting, members also discussed the consultation document on the review on administration of Internet domain names in Hong Kong, which is currently undergoing public consultation until June 15, 2007.
Members noted that the Government Chief Information Officer commissioned a consultancy study in 2006 to review the institutional framework and corporate governance for the administration of ".hk" Internet domain names in Hong Kong, having regard to the latest international and regional developments, with a view to improving current arrangements so as to maximise benefits for the Hong Kong community.
The consultant recommends, inter alia, that delegation of the domain name management function by the Government to the Hong Kong Internet Registration Corporation Limited (HKIRC), an arms-length, non-profit making organisation should be retained in the near term. The consultant also recommends that the HKIRC should introduce a "registry-registrar" model, whereby appropriate bodies may provide ".hk" users with registrar services on an equal and competitive basis with the HKIRC.
Taking into consideration the consultant's recommendations, the overall ICT strategy and scope of practical implementation in Hong Kong, the OGCIO has set out the recommended changes for public consultation before deciding on the way forward.
During the meeting, the Advisory Committee was also briefed on the results of the 2006 surveys on IT Usage and Penetration in the Household and Business Sectors in Hong Kong.
Ends/Monday, May 21, 2007
Issued at HKT 19:40
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