
Hutchison
Telecommunications International Limited
Hutchison
Telecommunications International Limited (HTIL) has a
significant presence, and in many cases is a market leader,
in five dynamic markets, offering mobile services in Indonesia,
Vietnam, Thailand,
Sri Lanka and in Israel where it also offers fixed-line services.
Indonesia
HTIL
launched commercial service in Indonesia via its subsidiary
PT Hutchison
CP Telecommunications (HCPT) in March 2007 under the global
"3"
brand. It operates a nationwide GSM 1800 network and in certain
densely populated areas of the country, such as Jakarta, overlays
an advanced 3G network based on UMTS technology. HCPT continues
to expand its network coverage and now covers Java, Bali,
Lombak and Batam. In October 2007, service in Sumatra was
launched, extending coverage to all the major cities. HCPT
extended its coverage to Sulawesi and Kalimantan in 2008.
HCPT differentiates itself in the competitive market by
offering advanced voice and data services, best-value tariff
plans and quality customer service targetting a significant
portion of the mass market prepaid users through an extensive
network of distributors.
Israel
HTIL's majority-owned subsidiary Partner
Communications Company Ltd launched its 3G video mobile
and Internet services in December 2004. Partner Communications
was the first Israeli operator to introduce GSM in 1999. It
was also the first provider of full 3G mobile services in
Israel, including person to person video calls. The Company's
ADSs are quoted on the NASDAQ Global Select MarketTM
(NASDAQ: PTNR). Its shares are traded on the Tel Aviv Stock
Exchange (TASE: PTNR). Partner Communications was included
in the NASDAQ Global Select Market tier for public companies,
which incorporates NASDAQ's world-class corporate governance
standards.
Partner Communications' mobile network, operating under the
orangeTM brand, had about 2.9 million customers
(as of 31 December 2008), of which approximately 951,000 were
3G customers, making it the second largest operator in Israel.
The launch of 3G services was a part of our commitment to
provide Israel with cutting-edge technology and to give its
subscribers high-quality, innovative services. Partner Communications'
commitment to excellence provides customers with a superb
network, award winning customer service and a wide range of
value added services.
Partner Communications started to implement the advanced
technology of HSDPA (3.5G) in March 2006, with download speeds
of up to 7.2 Mbps. The service, covering over 80 per cent
of the population centres, is designed for both data card
and handset users. As the 3.5G services market leader in Israel,
Partner Communications promotes its content services offers
which serve as a growth engine and generate revenues. Partner
Communications will continue to invest in new contents and
media applications as well as enrich content services that
have already been offered to customers, to reinforce its position
as a leader in this strategic area.
In January 2007, Partner Communications' fully owned entity
has been granted a domestic fixed telecommunication services
licence for a duration of 20 years by the Ministry of Communications
of Israel. In September 2008, the Company commenced the soft
launch of a new portfolio of fixed-line and ISP services –
a further step towards becoming a multimedia services provider.
Sri Lanka
The
priority for HTIL's operation in Sri Lanka is the provision
of affordable mobile telephony services to the masses of the
country. Hutchison
Telecommunications Lanka (Private) Limited operates a
GSM network to provide its subscribers with affordable and
easily accessible voice services and relevant and suitable
value added services. In a market with a relatively low teledensity,
the strategy is to grow the business by providing the ever-expanding
Sri Lankan mass market with easy and affordable access to
wireless telephony services. Hutchison Telecom Lanka continues
its rapid network expansion program aiming to cover 70 per
cent of the population by the end of 2009.
Thailand
HTIL's high-speed multimedia mobile phone services
in Thailand are enjoying high growth and strong support. Our
joint venture with CAT Telecom offers CDMA2000 1X services
(under Hutch brand) which are experiencing
exciting demand: our subscriber base was about 1.1 million
at the end of December 2008.
Hutchison
CAT is committed to bringing to subscribers in Thailand
state-of-the-art wireless multimedia applications with a marketing
strategy built on affordable voice services and easy-to-use
contents and superior wireless broadband service. Our Hutch
brand is popular with both general voice service users and
technologically-sophisticated young professionals and students,
which offer potential for further growth prospects.
Vietnam
HTIL
entered the Vietnam market in 2004. In February 2005, HTIL
was granted an investment licence by the Vietnamese government
to jointly build a mobile network with Hanoi Telecom. In January
2007, mobile communications service operator HT Mobile was
launched.
In 2008, HT Mobile received government approval to convert
from CDMA technology to GSM. On 9 April 2009, the operation
launched its GSM service under a new brand "Vietnamobile"
with footprint present at 64 provinces on Vietnam.
Vietnam offers some of the highest growth potential in the
region. Boasting a large, youthful population, a low wireless
penetration rate and one of the strongest economies in the
region, Vietnam is well positioned to grow.
Copyright 2003 Hutchison
Whampoa Limited. All rights reserved.
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