Hong Kong’s telecommunications market is one of the most advanced and dynamic in the world, with a proven track record of embracing innovation and driving connectivity, according to the city’s commerce chief.

“Hong Kong is uniquely positioned to play a leading role in the development of 6G,” Algernon Yau Ying-wah said while delivering a speech at the 6G Global Summit 2025, which opened in the city on Thursday.

Since the full liberalization of its telecommunications market in 2003, the special administrative region has successfully created a level playing field encouraging competition, growth and innovation, enabling the residents to enjoy a wide range of world-class telecommunications infrastructure and services, he said.

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Hong Kong has already achieved territory-wide 5G coverage with about 8 million users, representing over 105 percent of the population last year, he said, adding that the city’s 5G availability ranks first in the Asia-Pacific region.

“With our extensive network infrastructure, our fiber-to-the-home or building penetration rate is around 90 percent, placing us in the top five globally according to a report issued by the Fibre to the Home Council Europe in March 2025.”

This robust infrastructure serves as a strong foundation for 6G deployment and reflects the SAR’s ability to support cutting-edge applications and services, according to him.

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Leading the world in mobile voice affordability, Hong Kong ranks second globally in mobile broadband affordability and seventh in fixed broadband affordability, he pointed out.

Stressing that the SAR government is fully committed to fostering a conducive environment that drives technological advancement and prepares the city for the 6G era, Yau said: “In this regard, we are already planning ahead and taking concrete action to embrace 6G development.”

Hong Kong’s major mobile network operators have already actively commenced testing and successfully validating 5G-Advanced, commonly known as 5.5G, network in various applications, he said. “Such technology allows us to create a smarter connected network, facilitate businesses in monitoring operations in real-time, share data more efficiently, and analyze collected images and information through advanced platforms.”

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The SAR government sees great potential in developing low-altitude economy, with its wide applicability in different areas and various industries, which will inject new impetus into Hong Kong's economy, said the secretary for commerce and economic development.

“While 5G has been a progressive step in the history of telecommunications development, delivering faster data speeds, lower latency, and wider coverage, the rapid pace of technological advancements compels us to think ahead and look beyond 5G, to prepare for the next transformative leap to 6G,” said Yau.

Over 600 guests from around the globe are expected to attend the two-day summit being held for the very first time in the Asia-Pacific region.