bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Yvonne Chan

Internet service provider HK Net will team up with Telegroup - - the largest call-back company in the United States - to launch international calling services by next month.

 'We are reselling the call minutes using international dial-tone services and products being offered by Telegroup,' Net general manager Charles Mok said.

 The company would also be offering pre-paid and post-paid global calling cards and fax services to the general public, bringing the company closer to its goal of being 'a full-service telecommunications provider'.

 HK Net saw no need to apply for a virtual private network licence because it was primarily an Internet provider servicing Hong Kong customers.

 'We are not selling fixed-wire telephone lines,' Mr Mok said. 'Our partner [Telegroup] will be providing the services overseas.'  Mr Mok would not give a starting date for the services, but according to Barry Wong, general manager of call-back operator NeTel - Telegroup's Hong Kong agent and a sister company of Net - they would be launched by the third week of next month.

 Mr Mok said Telegroup, which has 48 switches worldwide with circuits in Europe and Asia, would be listed on the US stock market in two weeks.

 According to figures from the US Federal Communications Commission, it is the sixth-largest carrier of international traffic out of the country.

 'They don't have an Internet presence in Asia. What we hope to do is to work to use some of their technology and apply them in Hong Kong in terms of integrating Internet and telecommunications services,' Mr Mok said.

 Mr Wong said Net and Telegroup were also working on an Internet protocol-based telephone service for voice over the Internet - a service not permitted due to Hongkong Telecom's exclusive licence.

 He and Mr Mak were optimistic that the rules would eventually be relaxed, given moves by the Office of the Telecommunications Authority towards a more liberal market.



HK Net plans new international calling service with US giant