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SCMP Reporter

PACIFIC Telelink hopes to receive permission from Guangdong and Shenzhen authorities to begin CT2 and paging services in China ''in another six months'', chief executive officer Michael Pilgrim says.

  He was commenting after the launch of its one-number service, allowing CT2 (second generation cellular telecommunications) and paging subscribers to use a single number for both services.

  Although technology is evolving rapidly, CT2 handsets in Hong Kong cannot take incoming calls.

   Pacific Telelink announced yesterday it would provide secretarial services, voice mail, call-forwarding and paging services on one number for $450 a month.

  CT2 handsets are for use outdoors within a 200-metre radius of a base station.

   Mr Pilgrim hoped to have six more Pacific Telelink stores opened by the end of the year.

  Hong Kong-listed First Pacific Company owns 60 per cent of Pacific Telelink and Pacific Link.

   Pacific Telelink's other major shareholder are UK-based Vodafone Group which has 32.5 per cent and a private company of entrepreneur Stanley Ho, which holds 7.5 per cent.

   Mr Pilgrim estimated there are 125,000 CT2 local users, of which 20,000 were Pacific Telelink subscribers.

   ''I think there will be around 200,000 CT2 users [in Hong Kong] by the end of the year and we hope to grab 40,000 of them to break even,'' he said.

 Fred Bowers, an analyst for Nomura Research International in Hong Kong, said Mr Pilgrim's estimate of 20 per cent of the local CT2 market by year-end was ''realistic''.

  Mr Pilgrim said: ''The biggest threat to CT2 is new cellular technology.''    He predicted Pacific Link, a cellular telecommunications firm under the First Pacific umbrella, would merge with Pacific Telelink.

   There ''were natural synergies'' between Pacific Telelink and Pacific Link, he said.

  He said: ''We're looking at opportunities for closer co-operation with Pacific Link but there are a host of licensing, regulatory and share holding issues that need to be addressed before an integration can take place.''   Pacific Telelink was conducting discussions with the Shenda Telephone company in Shenzhen and Guangdong Mobile Telephone Co to introduce integrated CT2 and paging services, he said.

  Pacific Telelink's CT2 and pager services broadcast on the same frequency as a paging joint venture across the border run by locally listed ABC Communications.

   Analysts believed when Pacific Telelink was finally given approval to operate in China it would be able to compete head on with ABC as well as offer CT2 services.

  ''If they [Pacific Telelink] pull it off it will be a nice little addition for the company,'' said Mr Bowers.



Pacific Telelink eyes mainland CT2 connection