The Government has awarded i-Cable Communications, the Internet and cable-television arm of Wharf (Holdings), a draft fixed-telephone licence.
The licence, once finalised, will allow i-Cable to finally begin offering broadband Internet and telephone services.
Garmen Chan, spokesman for i-Cable, said yesterday the draft licence was received last week.
'We are now waiting for our lawyers to look through the draft to see whether there are any differences between the negotiated terms and the copy.
'It is our intent to turn around the draft as soon as possible,' he said.
Mr Chan said the company hoped to begin offering its broadband cable Internet service within eight weeks of receiving the official licence.
Receipt of the draft licence is significant for i-Cable as the company listed on the Hong Kong and Nasdaq stock exchanges last month, largely on the promise of it being only the second provider of high speed, broadband Internet services in Hong Kong, after Cable & Wireless HKT IMS's SuperNetvigator.