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  • Xiaomi is coming to UK

    Xiaomi is coming to UK

    Xiaomi will open its first store in the UK next week. The fast-growing Chinese electronics company will also sell its smartphones through the Three network, giving the brand exposure in hundreds of stores across the UK and in the Republic of Ireland.

    The Xiaomi UK launch follows openings in Spain and Paris as it joins other major global phone brands fighting for European market share.

    The first store, to be located in Westfield London, will open on November 10 and besides smartphones, will sell consumer electronics and accessories.

    In a Tweet, Xiaomi global spokesperson Donovan Sung wrote: “Excited to announce that Xiaomi will be officially entering the UK. See you all in London!”

    Just eight years after its launch, Xiaomi is now sold in 80 countries and boasts 200 million users. Already the fourth-largest smartphone brand in the world, behind Samsung, Huawei and Apple, Xiaomi sold 28.5 million handsets in the first quarter of this year.

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  • 3 HK calls for transparent 5G spectrum roadmap

    3 HK calls for transparent 5G spectrum roadmap

    Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings’ (HTHKH) mobile division 3 Hong Kong has joined the call for reforms to the market’s spectrum policy and roadmap to expedite the launch of 5G services.

    In a submission to the government’s consultation on arrangements for the allocation of spectrum in the 3.4-GHz to 3.6-GHz band, 3 Hong Kong urged the government to introduce a transparent and long-term spectrum policy with a 10-year rather than 3-year spectrum supply plan.

    The operator raised concerns about issues including the Communications Authority’s proposal to establish large scale 5G restriction zones to minimize interference to the satellite services operated in the band for satellite remote testing, tracking and control.

    3 Hong Kong said such zones would have a negative impact on both 5G communications and the deployment of M2M connectivity across Hong Kong, which will be a key component of the HKSAR government’s smart city ambitions.

    Mobile operators have proposed a number of alternatives to the restriction zones, including relocating the telemetry, tracking and control station from Tai Po Industrial Estate to a remote area, adding shielding coverage to telemetry stations and optimizing radiation from mobile base station antennae.

    The operator also opposed a suggested spectrum cap of 100MHz at the upcoming auction, citing concerns it may lead to a scenario of only two successful licensees dominating 5G markets.

    Meanwhile the reserve price should be set at a minimal level to encourage 5G infrastructure investment, the submission states.

    Finally, 3 Hong Kong joined HKT in urging the government to provide operators with a right of access to enter buildings, shopping malls, MTR premises and road tunnels to install 5G equipment.

    But in its own submission, Asia’s top satellite operator AsiaSat has expressed significant concerns about the proposal to reallocate the C band to 5G services, and argued that the proposed exclusion zones are not an adequate solution.

    The C-band provides a variety of services including contribution and distribution of TV services, broadcasting data and information such as meteorological data, maritime/aeronautical related safety, disaster relief and emergency communications services, AsiaSat said.

    Reallocating the band will significantly limit Hong Kong and Greater China’s satellite operators’ ability to control and monitor their satellite fleet and earth stations, the submission states.

    Links for safe monitoring and operation of satellites may be lost and numerous satellite TV dishes mounted on buildings across Hong Kong would need to be readjusted.

    AsiaSat has recommended that the government require operators to find alternative mitigation methods to minimize interference, and that operators should bear the cost of implementing these methods.

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  • 3 HK wins permit for 26-GHz, 28-GHz 5G trials

    3 HK wins permit for 26-GHz, 28-GHz 5G trials

    Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings’ mobile division 3 Hong Kong has secured a temporary permit to conduct 5G new radio trials.

    Hong Kong’s Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) has granted 3 Hong Kong permission to conduct network trials using 26-GHz and 28-GHz millimeter wave spectrum, the operator said.

    The permit will allow 3 Hong Kong to possess, establish, maintain and use transmitting and receiving stations for indoor and outdoor 5G trials, which are expected to commence in the third quarter.

    The operator successfully applied for a 5G indoor test permit for the 3.5-GHz band last August and completed a number of tests over the remainder of the year.

    “3 Hong Kong is determined to launch a 5G service at the earliest opportunity, after 5G spectrum specifications and standards have been finalized,” the company said.

    OFCA has previously announced plans to ensure Hong Kong is one of the earliest adopters of 5G technology by setting the regulatory groundwork for commercial services to be launched in 2020.

    In March, 3 Hong Kong activated Hong Kong’s first five-carrier aggregation (5CC CA) LTE-Advanced services, using its 900-MHz, 1800-MHz, 2100-MHz, 2300-MHz and 2600-MHz spectrum. During network trials, the company achieved speeds of 1.1Gbps over the network.

  • 3 HK upgrading 4G capacity on MTR

    3 HK upgrading 4G capacity on MTR

    3 Hong Kong has completed the first phase of a project to enhance its 4G network capacity at 18-high traffic MTR stations.

    The company has upgraded its equipment at the concourses of the Tsim Sha Tsui, Prince Edward, North Point, Quarry Bay, Yau Tong, Jordan, Mong Kok and Yau Ma Tei stations.

    The whole project is expected to be complete by July 2019, and will involve upgrades throughout stations and tunnels to increase its 4G network capacity at the 18 MTR stations manyfold.

    “Using mobile service at MTR stations has become an integral part of our daily lives. 3 Hong Kong is therefore working on 4G enhancement at 18 high-traffic MTR stations to boost capacity manyfold and strengthen the network,” 3 Hong Kong CTO of Mobile Daniel Chung said.

    “The project is gradually being extended to other stations. We are constantly monitoring 3 Hong Kong’s network performance to ensure that customers enjoy an advanced mobile network featuring comprehensive coverage, high capacity, high speed and high reliability, outside and inside of MTR stations.”

  • 3 Hong Kong launches new global roaming packages

    3 Hong Kong launches new global roaming packages

    3 Hong Kong, the mobile arm of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings (HTHKH), has launched today a new data roaming service, called Roam-in-Command, providing discounted data roaming plans for mobile subscribers traveling 21 countries in three continents.

    3 HK’s new Roam-in-Command service comes with four packages. Each pack provides customers with up to 14 days discounted data roaming service in six European countries and 10 countries throughout Asia Pacific. One package combines the US and Canada, while another pack targets travelers to three Greater China destinations – mainland China, Taiwan and Macau.

    The service offers four 200MB (at HK$78) or 1GB (HK$198) options  to serve customers roaming in Europe, Asia Pacific, the US, Canada and Greater China.

    Customers can also get an extra 1GB roaming data capacity if they subscribe to the 1GB service during the promotional period, from tomorrow to 30 September.

    Kenny Koo, 3 Hong Kong’s director of roaming and service development, said the company is drawing on its advantage of close ties with the 3 Group, NTT Docomo, the Conexus Mobile Alliance and Vodafone to tailor “value-for-money” roaming packages that offer extensive overseas coverage.

    “The upshot is our customers can wave goodbye to the hassle of changing SIM cards or carrying Wi-Fi devices just to stay connected with friends and family while abroad,” the executive said at a media briefing Thursday.

    The new service launch comes at a time when Hong Kong mobile carriers are seeing decline in roaming revenues, thanks to increasing competition from OTT messaging applications like Whatsapp, Line and Wechat.

    Hutchison Telecom reported HK$3.9 billion of mobile service revenue in 2016, down 3.9% from a year earlier, largely due to the decline in roaming revenue – which slumped 13% from HK$831 million in 2015 to HK$722 million last year. The company will report its 2017 interim financial results next week.

    Koo said the data roaming market is changing rapidly, and that he expects that the new service, together with other data roaming plans currently offered by the company, will help drive roaming traffic.

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  • 3 HK, GASH Point team on gaming services

    3 HK, GASH Point team on gaming services

    3 Hong Kong, the mobile division of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong (HTHKH), has signed an agreement with GASH Point, an Asian digital entertainment payment platform, in its latest push to tap the growing gaming market.

    As part of the agreement, the pair will launch co-branded game points cards, ranging between HK$10 ($1.28) and HK$1,500. Users can use the cards to access 3,000 mobile and PC games, as well as digital content. Gamers could also be offered privileges such as special edition gaming equipment.

    The operator said customers can buy GASH game points and receive bonus game points amounting to not less than 5% of a purchase via 3 Hong Kong’s direct carrier billing service. Such transactions will be charged directly to a 3 Hong Kong customer’s mobile bill, thereby providing total peace of mind when making a purchase.

    Gamers holding a GASH Point account can access digital entertainment content via the Gash app. Such items include games such as Clash of Kings, MonsterStrike and the Xifeizuan Palace Game. The app also allows access to Japanese digital content via the DMM.com audio-visual gaming platform and the DLsite.com online shop dedicated to otaku, Japan’s anime and manga fandom scene.

    Kenny Koo, 3 Hong Kong’s director of roaming and service development, said the co-branded cards are expected to be introduced in July at the earliest.

    Koo said 3 Hong Kong is the first operator in the city to seal such a deal with Gash, and the company expects the collaboration with GASH Point will help boost mobile data usage and consumption of value added services.

    The collaboration with GASH Point is the company’s latest effort to build an integrated gaming platform for gamers. In May, 3 HK and Razer, a lifestyle brand for gamers, formed a strategic partnership to collaborate on a number of areas including co-branding, mobile devices and plans, and virtual currency distribution, as well as open RazerStore in Hong Kong.

    “We aim to become the telecoms operator of choice among gamers. The route to this goal involves collaboration with world-class partners, so we can offer the hottest gaming products and services, while delivering the latest eSports information,” the executive said.

    GASH COO Simon Lu said the collaboration with 3 Hong Kong provides local users with a convenient payment method and is “an important milestone” in its penetration of the Asian market.

    “This [partnership] will allow us to extend our operational scale, enhance the GASH application user experience, establish an online-to-offline (O2O) scenario and revamp GASH’s website in order to improve loyalty among members. What’s more, we will offer specially-tailored services, while developing more payment options and making an even greater diversity of digital entertainment content available to satisfy user demand and boost our membership numbers,” he said.

    Lu said there is a lot of potential in gaming market in Asia Pacific, which generated $46.6 billion of revenues in 2016, up 10.7% from the year before.

    GASH currently has presence in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Korea, with over 10 million registered users across these markets and an annual transaction of $300 million.

    Lu said Hong Kong currently contributes about 15% of the company’s total revenue and gamers in Hong Kong spend two and three times more than those in Taiwan.

    In addition to gaming, Lu said GASH and 3 Hong Kong will also explore in other areas such as co-organizing e-sports tournaments and digital entertainment content.

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  • 3 Hong Kong upgrading network to prepare for 5G

    3 Hong Kong upgrading network to prepare for 5G

    Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holding’s mobile division 3 Hong Kong has teamed up with Huawei to upgrade its mobile network in preparation for the 5G era.

    The operator is adopting five component carrier aggregation (5CC CA) using its extensive spectrum holdings across the 1800-MHz, 2100-MHz, 2300-MHz and 2600-MHz bands with both FDD and TDD technology.

    Huawei will also upgrade the network to support 4×4 MIMO and 256 quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM) technology, to enable 3 Hong Kong to provide customers with data download speeds of over 1.2Gbps.

    In addition to these 4.5G technologies, 3 Hong Kong has started planning for the deployment of 4G technologies based on network cloudification.

    The partners have already deployed Huawei’s CloudEdge technology on the 3 Hong Kong core network and are now applying CloudRAN technology to the wireless access network. The operator also plans to adopt Huawei’s CloudAIR air interface cloud technology.

    A Massive MIMO base station has also been built in Causeway Bay to conduct field tests of the 5G technology, and 3 Hong Kong plans to continue the deployment of Massive MIMO in key locations within the year.

    “As we move towards the 5G and IoT era, 3 Hong Kong is actively deploying 5G technologies and upgrading its existing network architecture,” HTHKH executive director and CEO Cliff Woo Chiu-man said.

    “In addition to using CA technology with 5CC, we have conducted research and carried out trials for various technologies, such as small cell installations, network cloudification, NFV and Massive MIMO towards the 5G era. These  efforts will enable the timely launch of services to meet market demand as soon as the 5G  standard and Hong Kong’s spectrum plans are confirmed.”

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  • 3 HK unveils new roaming services

    3 HK unveils new roaming services

    3 Hong Kong, the mobile division of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited (HTHKH), has introduced new monthly plans and roaming passes, enabling customers to use mobile services in Macau and six European countries.

    HTHKH chief operating officer Jennifer Tan said the monthly 3Like Home plans and two types of roaming pass are tailored to the needs of frequent leisure and business travelers traversing Macau and Europe.

    The monthly “3LikeHome” plans, which start at HK$168/month ($21.66) (HK and Macau) and HK$508 (HK, Macau and six European countries), will offer equal local and roaming data usage entitlements, plus a quota of voice minutes to be shared between local use and when roaming.

    Devices will be automatically connected to 3 Group networks when in Austria, Denmark, Ireland, Italy, Sweden and the UK, as well as Macau.

    The new plans will allow customers to make calls to numbers in the locality where they are present, and Hong Kong, or receive calls from any region without incurring additional charges. The roaming data element of usage allows customers making frequent business trips to access the internet in Macau and the six designated European countries as if they were in Hong Kong, the operator said.

    To meet demand at this busy travel time of the year, 3 Hong Kong has also launched one-off roaming plans including a 3-day ‘3 Macau Roaming Pass’ and a 10-day ‘3 Europe Roaming Pass’, which will provide free-to-use voice and data entitlements in Macau and six European countries for families and frequent leisure travelers.

    In addition, 3 HK is offering 90-minutes free daily WiFi service to all mobile users in the city, as the number of its hotspots exceeding 20,000 across the city.

    Until the end of September, any mobile user in Hong Kong can access WiFi service for three sessions to a total of 90 minutes a day using a smartphone, tablet or laptop at more than 20,000 WiFi hotspots run by 3HK.

    Tan said 3 HK will build 3,000 more WiFi hotspots in the second half of this year, bringing the total number to more than 23,000.

  • 3 Hong Kong launches prepaid plans for Apple SIM

    3 Hong Kong launches prepaid plans for Apple SIM

    Hong Kong mobile operator 3 has announced its support for Apple SIM, introducing a line of short-term LTE data plans that can be chosen and activated from compatible iPads.

    The operator has introduced day pass plans offering two days of connectivity for HK$38 ($4.90), seven days for HK$88 and 14 days for HK$168. These plans have fair use limits of 2.5GB, 3.5GB and 5GB respectively.

    Customers will also be able to choose monthly data pass plans for HK$168 for 1GB, HK$248 for 2GB or HK$298 for 3GB.

    Customers on Apple SIM LTE data plans will be charged a HK$2 administration fee every 30 days.

    Global  Apple SIM partner GigSky has meanwhile announced it had expanded its cellular data plans for Apple SIM to cover over 149 countries, up from just over 90. The prepaid packages are now available in all the top travel destinations, the company said.

    GigSky data plans are available in APAC markets including Hong Kong, Korea, Thailand, Australia, Pakistan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Japan. The plans typically range from US$15 for 100MB of data over three days to $50 for 1GB of data over 30 days.

    Apple SIM is supported by the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 and iPad mini 4.

  • 3 Hong Kong offers free 5GB data SIM cards

    3 Hong Kong offers free 5GB data SIM cards

    3 Hong Kong will offer free “myTV Super” 5GB data SIM cards at 3Shops and other designated outlets starting mid-March.

    The card enables mobile users to watch Television Broadcasts (TVB) programs from 30 thematic TV channels for 30 days via the new “myTV Super” paid mobile app.

    3 Hong Kong’s ultra-fast 4G LTE network makes popular Hong Kong, Japanese and Korean dramas – along with classic Cantonese movies, animation, variety shows and children’s programmes – available to mobile users on the move. Offer available while stocks last.

    Customers must register online to activate an account, before inserting the data SIM card and downloading the “myTV Super” app.

    This will allow them to enjoy 5GB of free data usage to access TVB’s 30 thematic channels for 30 days. 3 Hong Kong customers can use the “myTV Super” app for 30 days free of charge without changing SIM card.

    “We provide an open and neutral platform for various OTT content providers via our high-speed, high-capacity content delivery network, along with world-class data center services,” HTHKH COO Jennifer Tan.

    “Handing out free data SIM cards is an unprecedented way for us to promote 3 Hong Kong’s advanced network alongside compelling content from TVB,” said Tan. “We aim to enable users to be the first to experience free TV programs and enjoy the best ‘videotainment’ while on the move through use of the ‘myTV SUPER’ app on mobile devices. We believe this represents a new trend in mobile entertainment.”

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