Slow internet link outside urban areas
Hong Kong aspires to be a “smart city”, and one would think that widespread provision of high-speed broadband internet via a fibre-optical network would be an essential component of this vision.
However, when I sit at home experiencing upload speeds of a pitiful 50 to 100 kilobytes per second, it is quite clear that this is not the case.
The economic and societal benefits of providing high-speed internet access to the whole community have been demonstrated in a number of places worldwide, so why is it that in Hong Kong these benefits are not accessible to many internet users, particularly in the New Territories?
Expanded access to high- speed internet stimulates economic growth and job creation by providing opportunities for innovation, expansion and e-commerce. High-speed internet enhances all levels of education, from kindergarten to college, by allowing alternative and/or more effective approaches to teaching.
Broadband reduces the carbon footprint of societies via lower energy use and greenhouse gas emissions; more people working at home means fewer people on the roads, but this cannot happen if internet speeds are slow.
I pay just over HK$300 per month for internet access, yet the service I receive is far inferior to that provided in urban areas. The speed is much lower, especially at times of heavy usage. The connection breaks at least once a month, and I spend 15 minutes negotiating the automated phone support to get the connection reset.
