Hong Kong has been improving the life of its people through smart uses of technology

The Director of Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto), Miss Kathy Chan, said that Hong Kong has been improving the life of its people through smart uses of technology.

Speaking at a seminar in Toronto on accelerating smart cities organised by Toronto-based think-tank The Canadian Institute today (May 10), Miss Chan shared with the participants Hong Kong’s experience in developing the city into a smart city.

“Hong Kong is a leader in information and communications technology. It has an extensive and efficient broadband network, with the broadband download speed being the fastest in the world.  In addition, Hong Kong has one of the world’s highest WiFi penetration rates, and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government plans to increase the number of free WiFi hotspots in the city from currently 17 000 to more than 34 000 in a few years for use by the general public,” she told the audience. 

Recognizing the trend of big data analytics, the HKSAR Government also launched the Public Sector Information portal (data.gov.hk) in 2015 to provide more than 5,000 datasets from different government departments and public/private organisations which members of the public can readily download, distribute and reuse for commercial and non-commercial purposes free-of-charge.  The initiative can encourage more innovative and value-adding uses of the big data to bring benefits to the general public.”

Miss Chan also introduced to the seminar audience that a sharing system of electronic health records of patients had been recently rolled out in March.

“The territory-wide Electronic Health Record Sharing System facilitates the sharing of electronic health records by medical practitioners in respect of patients who have given express consent for their doctors to do so.   The system can provide timely, accurate and comprehensive information to facilitate the doctors to make medical assessment, reduce the needs of repeated tests and eventually improve the overall quality of healthcare”, Miss Chan said. 

Miss Chan furthered that apart from the government, the private sector had been playing a key role in the smart city development of Hong Kong.  She mentioned the Octopus card system, which was first introduced in 1997 for fare payment of public transport but whose functions had since then been expanded substantially that it had now become the largest smart card payment system in the world.

 “Apart from fare payment at virtually every means of public transport in Hong Kong, the Octopus card is also widely used for payment at thousands of retail outlets and government facilities.

“With 72 000 card readers throughout the territory, the system processes more than 14 million transactions valued more than HK$173 million ( around C$29 million) a day”, she said.    

Building on its success, the Octopus card company has been exporting its technology and expertise overseas, including the Netherlands and Dubai.

In conclusion, Miss Chan said that the HKSAR Government would continue to implement initiatives by making innovative uses of technology which would make Hong Kong people’s lives better.  Around 40 local and foreign representatives attended the seminar today.