China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) has reached over 1 million subscribers in the 5G segment, the telco said in a release.
Li Feng, chairman of CMHK said: “We are delighted to announce that the number of 5G customers has exceeded 1 million just a few months after surpassing the 5 million mark for our overall customer base in June. In line with the national strategy of the Greater Bay Area Development and the future direction of the Hong Kong Government, we are committed to promoting the integration of 5G into all industries, helping Hong Kong build a ‘smart city’, and creating a shared 5G smart future for all.”
CMHK claims to be the first mobile network operator to launch 5G services in Hong Kong in April 2020. The carrier had also obtained the first enterprise 5G construction service project in Hong Kong – Hong Kong International Airport 5G Infrastructure Project.
CMHK has recently acquired a total of 90 MHz of spectrum in the 700 MHz, 2.5/2.6 GHz and 4.9 GHz frequency bands, with an overall investment of HK$649 million ($83.4 million).
With this latest acquisition, China Mobile Hong Kong is now the largest holder of spectrum in the territory, with 20 megahertz of 1.8 GHz, 30 megahertz of 2.3 GHz, 35M megahertz of 2.6 GHz, 60 megahertz of 3.5 GHz and 80 megahertz of 4.9 GHz.
The carrier noted that the 700 MHz frequency band of radio spectrum acquired in the recent auction will help strengthen the overall coverage of its network. Meanwhile, the bid for an additional 40 MHz of radio spectrum in the 4.9 GHz frequency band will enhance the telco’s 5G network speed.
Last month, Hong Kong’s Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) announced the award of 255 megahertz of spectrum in 19 frequency blocks after a spectrum auction that required a total of 32 rounds of bidding in three days.
The government agency said that the Hong Kong government secured spectrum utilization fees of a total of UKD 1.87 billion.
Rival carrier HKT spent a total of HKD599 million to acquire 10 megahertz in the 700 MHz band and 25 megahertz of 2.5 GHz to 2.6 GHz spectrum, OFCA added.
SmarTone secured 5 megahertz of 700 MHz for HKD72 million, 7.5 megahertz of 850 MHz for HKD82.5 million and 40 megahertz of 4.9 GHz spectrum for HKD222.5 million.
Also, Hutchison Telephone spent a total of HKD252 million to acquire 10 megahertz of 700 MHz and 5 megahertz of 2.5 GHz to 2.6 GHz spectrum.
OFCA also said that there were no bids for the acquisition of spectrum in the 600 MHz spectrum band.
The local government had previously said that Hong Kong mobile operators will be required to reach a minimum population coverage of 90% within five years for the 700 MHz, 850 MHz and 2.5 GHz to 2.6 GHz frequencies allocations. The service obligation for the 4.9 GHz band is 50% population coverage with five years, with a requirement for the deployment of at least 100 indoor base stations in the 600 MHz band over the same time period.
