HONG KONG: When it comes to preferences among Internet users in the city, broadband wins out easily over WiFi, survey results indicate.

The Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association and Hong Kong Wireless Development Centre on WiFi services, which undertook the survey, disclosed that only 18 percent of the population used WiFi in 2008, compared to the 71 percent that used other services, such as broadband.

Most consumers are put off by high service charges for WiFi. On top of that, they're not impressed by the narrow coverage area provided by WiFi, the survey showed. The survey also showed that almost 90 percent of people who did use WiFi chose the service only when they could get it free at various public areas and government facilities.

Sharon Liu, a 16-year-old Internet user, said she visits places like public libraries or parks to use free WiFi but would not consider paying for the service.

Ken Fong, chairman of Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association, rather surprisingly, called the results of the survey "encouraging".

He noted a 10 percent increase in government WiFi usage over the past year by the public at large and a 20 percent increase in customer satisfaction.

WiFi usage in homes declined 20 percent, he said.

Another survey conducted by the Public Opinion Programme at the University of Hong Kong showed that the most popular serivices among the public are the weather forecast, traffic reports and e-medical records. The survey taken this year interviewed 600 people.

Fong said, "The government is moving in the right direction to develop traffic reporting services and e-health in Hong Kong."

In an effort to facilitate the growth of Hong Kong wireless technology, Hong Kong Wireless Development Friday signed a memorandum with Jiangmen 3G Application Industrial Base to foster new business opportunities linking Hong Kong and Jiangmen.

(HK Edition 08/01/2009 page1)