Listening in on the telecoms industry
Did we hear right, or was it just another mobile services sales pitch? Last week, a CSL shop assistant told Earful the operator was ready to launch third-generation (3G) services next month.
The Hong Kong arm of Australia's Telstra is one of four licence holders that will offer WCDMA to the city's 7.89 million mobile subscribers.
CSL chief executive Hubert Ng Ching-wah has said the company is not in a rush to introduce 3G until there is more compelling mobile content, handsets perform better and a seamless transition from 2G networks is guaranteed.
Rival SmarTone Telecommunications - which also cited these factors as an obstacle to an early launch - now believes the time is right. It will roll out services next month, ending the 11-month 3G 'monopoly' of Hutchison Telecom, which became the first operator to offer the high-speed mobile data services with a launch in January.
A CSL spokeswoman refused to confirm whether the company would start services next month or in the first quarter of next year, as has been expected.
