Hong Kong's Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) plans to work to ensure the market is one of the world's earliest adopters of 5G technology.
Legislative councilor for IT Charles Mok told the South China Morning Post that commercial 5G networks are expected to be launched in Hong Kong in 2020.
While OFCA has faced criticism for not doing enough to prepare for the arrival of 5G, including the lack of a clear spectrum roadmap, Mok said the ITU will first need to decide on the global allocation of 5G spectrum during the planned World Radiocommunication Conference in 2019.
This conference is expected to be a mere formality with the industry already having a strong idea of the likely radiofrequencies to be allocated for 5G.
OFCA has separately set up a licensing scheme for companies seeking to use wireless bands for IoT devices in a bid to give the government regulatory oversight of IoT products and services such as smart meters, smart waste systems and autonomous vehicles.
Two unnamed international companies have already applied for such a license, OFCA said, but did not disclose the names of the companies.
Source: https://www.telecomasia.net/content/hk-aims-be-early-adopter-5g