HONG KONG: CLP Telecommunications, a subsidiary of CLP Holdings,
and Yes Television, a domestic pay television programme service
licensee, will launch Yes Television interactive TV services in Hong
Kong under the Oxygen brand later this year.
CLP TeleCom plans to form a joint-venture with Yes Television to operate
an interactive TV service as part of a fully convergent communications
and entertainment offering to Hong Kong households.
CLP TeleCom said it would own 75 per cent, while Yes Television will own
the remaining 25 per cent of the joint venture.
Oxygen interactive TV service will offer Hong Kong families broadcast
television, video on demand, internet access and email ability from
television sets.
It will also offer a dual-language interface in English and Chinese, and
will eventually provide broadband access, business to business (B2B) and
business to consumer (B2C) initiatives for small- to medium-sized
enterprises and business customers, as well as other multimedia and
communications services.
A pilot test will be conducted in Taikoo Shing and Kornhill on Hong Kong
Island between May and August to "fine-tune the service in preparation
for the commercial launch later this year".
CLP TeleCom launched its retail brand Oxygen in late April, offering
various internet services.
According to CLP TeleCom managing director, Peter Heavyside, the company
spent HKdollars 50 million (USdollars 6.4 million) in developing the
Oxygen brand.
Heavyside added the company would not depend on online advertising to
generate revenue, but would charge users for the service. It is hoping
to offset its late entry into the market by offering filtering software
that blocks indecent material. Other Hong Kong power utilities,
including Hong Kong & China Gas (Towngas), launched similar services
last year.
Services such as Towngas' iCare also offer internet access through TV
and e-commerce facilities.
Yes Television recently launched Easy Television, an IP-based
interactive television platform in Australia.
