Press release

Formation of the Hong Kong Internet Service Providers Association

The Hong Kong Internet Service Providers Association(HKISPA) and the Hong Kong Information Technology Federation (HKITF) today (11th November, 1996) announced the formation of HKISPA as a major functional group of HKITF.

Mr. Daniel Ng, the newly-elected Chairman of HKISPA, also the President of Hong Kong Star Internet Ltd., said, "Although Internet usage is emerging rapidly in Hong Kong, existing laws are not catching up with issues like copyright, fair market competition, content control on the net and so on. A unified voice for all Internet service providers (ISPs) is required to communicate effectively with the Government and the public."

"The Internet is an open network. ISPs are directly or indirectly linked with one another, so co-operation is also necessary for us to work towards a better Internet industrial environment, and on the handling of matters like security and bandwidth allocation," Mr Ng adds.

Mr Anthony Au, President of HKITF, said, "After working with the ISPs to address various Internet issues for almost a year, we believe that HKITF can contribute to assist the formation of this important industry group which will have full independence and autonomy under the umbrella of HKITF."

"The Internet should be a top priority of Hong Kong�s technological development for two reasons. First, it is an essential component of the local information infrastructure; and second, it brings new life and opportunities into Hong Kong�s servicing industry, as well as small and medium size enterprises (SME)," Mr Au emphasized.

According to the Membership Rules of the HKISPA, which was finalized last Saturday (November 9), the objectives of the group are as follows:

To serve as a forum for consideration of issues or topics that may affect the development and deployment of Internet in Hong Kong.

To promote development of Internet infrastructure, fair market competition, and the growth of the Internet industry in Hong Kong.

To formulate and promulgate policy in respect of regulatory and governmental issues involving the Internet industry and to represent the Internet industry in its interface with governmental bodies and the public at large.

To establish a Code of Practice for ISP members.

At the General meeting on Saturday, the Executive Committee of the HKISPA was also elected:

Chairman : Daniel Ng, Hong Kong Star Internet Ltd.

Vice-chairman : Cyrus K. Hui, AsiaNet (Hong Kong) Limited

Secretary : Charles Mok, HKNet Co Ltd

Committee Members :

Mr Ng said, "By including both small and large ISPs in the Executive Committee, the HKISPA hope to be able to address the needs of ISPs of any size, and co-operatively work toward the benefits of the entire industry."

Any ISP which holds a Public Non-Exclusive Telecommunications Services (PNETS) license for Internet service in Hong Kong is eligible to join the Association. While the HKISPA is currently processing a number of applications and expects the membership base to grow rapidly, those ISPs which are already HKISPA members include:

About Hong Kong Information Technology Federation (HKITF) :

The HKITF was founded in 1980 to provide a forum in which the normally competitive information technology (IT) vendors in Hong Kong could work together to improve the industry and to maintain a high level of business practice amongst its members.

The HKITF is very active in the promotion of Hong Kong's unique position as the IT hub of Asia and the IT gateway to China, and frequently acts as the coordinator and host for visiting foreign delegations. HKITF�s agenda for the year is the promotion of the development of Hong Kong�s Information Infrastructure.

Further acquiry:

Address for HKITF and HKISPA: 601 Glenealy Tower, 1 Glenealy, Central, Hong Kong