City Telecom has stepped up its assault on the traditional voice market, unveiling a new internet telephony service on Thursday that allows customers to dial fixed-line or mobile phones from their computers.
The service, offered through its Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN) unit, will cost less than $38 per month and include extras such as video calling, instant messaging, online phone books and conference calling.
City Telecom chairman Ricky Wong Wai-kay forecast the demise of fixed-line networks as voice over internet protocol (VoIP) services crop up to replace them.
'The traditional fixed-line business is dying ... I'd be surprised if by 2006, Hong Kong still had one million fixed-exchange lines left,' Mr Wong said. The city presently has about 3.78 million fixed lines.
In August, City Telecom launched its first VoIP service. In that service an adapter box is attached to a broadband modem and computer, and a telephone is then connected to the adapter.
The new service does away with the adapter and is similar to offerings from companies such as Skype Technologies.