Hutchison’s 3 on Tuesday announced the commercial launch of its LTE service in Macau, nine months after it won its licence.
The telco has rolled out a 4G network covering 90% of the outdoor areas in Macau and can deliver data speeds of up to 112 Mbps.
"After months of tireless effort deploying a 4G LTE network, we are delighted to
announce commercial launch of our 4G LTE service," said Ho Wai-ming, CEO of
3 Macau, in a statement.
"As well as serving our local customers to a higher standard of
technology, we will soon be meeting the high-speed data needs of Macau’s many cross-border
users," he said.
3 was one of four mobile operators to win a 4G licence in Macau in March.
After allowing the possibility of new entrants into the market, the Bureau of Telecommunications Regulations (known locally as the DSRT), allocated licences to Macau’s existing players, based on certain criteria, including the potential economic benefits to the region and to its telecoms market.
Thus, 3, SmarTone, China Telecom and incumbent operator Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau (CTM) walked away with licences while would-be newcomers China Mobile and U Hong Comunicações were left out in the cold.
The new licensees were required to launch services before the end of 2015.
China Telecom launched 4G services last month, according to a local press report. SmarTone and CTM are also advertising 4G offers on their Websites.
3 Macau’s tariff plans start at 98 patacas (€11.2) per month for 1 GB of data and increase incrementally based on data allowance and airtime. The telco also offers an unlimited data bundle – although the speed slows when usage exceeds 10 GB – for MOP598 (€68.1) per month.
