Wi-fi in phone booths
PCCW, the city's largest telecommunications operator, has installed wireless internet access points in 1,000 public telephone booths around Hong Kong, bringing the number of its Wi-fi 'hotspots' to more than 3,000.
The company's consumer group managing director, Tom Chan Kee-sun, said yesterday the number was up from about 1,500 early this year and that PCCW aimed to add 1,000 to 2,000 hotspots in the next two years to boost coverage to 5,000.
New Wi-fi hotspots have been installed in all public telephone booths operated by PCCW, a move that was approved by telecommunications watchdog Ofta earlier this year.
'We are also considering installing hotspots on all the public lamp posts, depending on the government's approval,' Mr Chan said.
The company is also offering Wi-fi services on the platforms and concourses of MTR stations in Central, Admiralty, Causeway Bay, Wan Chai, North Point and Heng Fa Chuen.
Mr Chan said the service would be available at all Island Line stations and in Tsim Sha Tsui and Mong Kok stations by the end of the year.
PCCW has already installed more than 1,000 hotspots in convenience stores, coffee shops, selected shopping malls and cinemas.
Mr Chan said use of the paid service had tripled in the second quarter this year.
Usage of PCCW's free Wi-fi service at Hong Kong International Airport grew 30 times in the second quarter compared with the three months ending November last year.
