New T&T, the telecommunications arm of Wharf (Holdings), plans to expand its high-speed Internet service in a further challenge to dominant provider Cable & Wireless HKT. It plans to increase its coverage from 15 to 100 buildings. T&T chairman Stephen Ng Tin-hoi said the company initially would target Internet access service providers (ISPs). The company had a 50 per cent share of the non-captive ISP market, which excluded ISPs affiliated with its largest competitor HKT, and Hutchison Telecommunications, he said. This would make it a hub for 15 per cent share of the Internet traffic in Hong Kong, he said. The company will provide an 'always on' [consistent] upstream and downstream connections to the ISPs at a speed of four mega-bites per second, using the digital subscriber line (DSL) technology. Business development director Vincent Ma said the launch would allow it to provide the fastest up and downstream connections to ISPs in Hong Kong. However, he said the company cannot guarantee the connection speed 100 per cent of the time because it might fluctuate depending on usage of other components of the network. Meanwhile, an HKT spokesman said the service could allow dedicated per second upstream and downstream connections of 512 kilo-bites and three mega-bites respectively, using the asymmetrical DSL technology. TELECOMS
