The Office of the Government CIO (OGCIO) yesterday announced extending the number of government venues to provide free public Wi-Fi services through the Wi-Fi.HK Public-Private Collaboration (PPC) project.
Initial venues equipped with free Wi-Fi include the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, Queen Elizabeth Stadium, Dr Sun Yat-sen Museum, Shatin Town Hall, Man Kam To Control Point, the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Piazza, the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade and the Hong Kong Coliseum.
HKBN, csl, HGC and SmarTone will provide services to the public, and plan to extend the service to other government venues in the coming months, including public parks, public transport interchanges and markets.
"We shall open up more suitable government venues through public-private collaboration for private service providers to install equipment and provide Wi-Fi service with free usage time at their own cost,” undersecretary for innovation and technology David Chung said.
“Private service providers are allowed to offer value-added services at these venues without any financing from the government while the public and tourists can enjoy free Wi-Fi service. This arrangement is favorable to all."
Chung said transforming Hong Kong into a Wi-Fi connected city will also help stimulate the development of more innovative, efficient and convenient digital services, and will help transform Hong Kong into a smart city.
Wi-Fi.HK has been available since 2014 at various locations, with over 19,800 Wi-Fi hotspots being provided by around 50 participating organizations, including university campuses, tourist attractions, shopping centers and restaurants. The government is also providing free Wi-Fi services to students at youth service centers and study rooms under a subsidy scheme launched in March.
The Wi-Fi.HK project has been co-organized by the Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association (WTIA).
First published in Computerworld Hong Kong