ABC Communications (Holdings) and its 15 per cent owned mobile phone unit, SmarTone, will launch a paging and phone service, following the latter's failure to secure a personal communications services (PCS) licence.
Deputy managing director Patricia Yeung Shuk-kwan said the package would be marketed in the third quarter and was being released to suit consumers who hold mobile phones as well as pagers. 'About 60 per cent to 70 per cent of mobile phone users have pagers at the same time and our focus group studies show there are needs for the service,' she said.
The package would offer 'value-added and various associate services', she said, giving no further details.
Having failed in its bid for a PCS licence, ABC's main profit earner would not suffer unduly as it already had established a firm foothold in the market, Ms Yeung said at the company's annual meeting yesterday.
'It has its competitive edge . . . with three years experience in the market,' she said.
'In the past, SmarTone may not have had enough frequencies in expanding the services, but since July we've had an additional 0.4 megahertz.' SmarTone is 40 per cent held by Sun Hung Kai Properties, 30 per cent by AT&T Wireless Communications and 15 per cent by Town Kahn. SmarTone accounted for 47 per cent, or US$43.5 million, of ABC's net profit in the year to March.