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Hong Kong, 30 June 2022 – Hong Kong, the mobile arm of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited (HTHKH; stock code: 215), today announced it became the first mobile telecoms operator to activate the base stations of the 700MHz band spectrum at 30 June midnight, following the assignment of the 700MHz band 5G spectrum by the Office of the Communications Authority (OFCA) on the eve of Hong Kong's 25th handover anniversary on 1 July. The 700MHz band offers extensive coverage with ultra-strong penetration which enables 5G services to move forward to a new chapter, leading the way for Hong Kong's further development as a smart city.

First phase to deploy 700MHz in New Territories North and West
The OFCA yesterday announced that local telecoms operators could start activating base stations in the 700MHz band gradually from 30 June. 3 Hong Kong has 10MHz of paired spectrum (a total of 20MHz) in the 700MHz band (n28) and was the first operator to announce the completion of its deployment plan of the 700MHz band 5G spectrum in June. The base stations have started operating as of midnight today.

HTHKH Executive Director and CEO Kenny Koo said: "3 Hong Kong is the first to provide 5G services back in 2020. Since then, we have been continuously expanding and enhancing network coverage as well as raising 5G penetration rate in Hong Kong. Our 5G coverage has already achieved 99%^ for quite some time. We also took the lead to activate the 700MHz band 5G spectrum to enhance deeper indoor coverage for part of the remote and residential areas, which help promote 5G home and commercial applications thereby moving forward Hong Kong's smart city development to a new chapter. As a fresh round of consumption vouchers will be disbursed by the government in August, we have specially launched different kinds of 5G mobile and 5G broadband plans to attract more customers to upgrade to 5G and enjoy the convenience of 5G service."

During the first phase of deployment, 3 Hong Kong leveraged the 700MHz band spectrum to enhance deeper network coverage, covering New Territories North and West including the low-density residential areas in Fanling, Tai Po and Sheung Shui. 3 Hong Kong will further extend the deeper 5G coverage of 700MHz band to low-density residential areas in Mid-Levels Central and Kowloon Tong during the year. See below table:

5G signal covering Lamma Island, Shum Wan and Sai Kung waters
3 Hong Kong offers deep 5G coverage to Lamma Island, Shum Wan and Sai Kung waters which are surrounded by mountains (estimated as far as 11km offshore) by the 700MHz band spectrum. After the launch of 5G services powered by the 700MHz band spectrum, customers on boat trips or conducting other water activities can also receive 5G and other service signals in the above sea areas.

Maximise spectrum effectiveness by Carrier Aggregation (CA) and Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS)
3 Hong Kong integrated the 700MHz band spectrum with the existing 2.1GHz (n1) or 3.5GHz (n78) bands of 5G spectrum by CA and DSS to offer faster network service. The best download speed performance can be doubled (100%) at specific scenarios, maximising the effectiveness of spectrum. 3 Hong Kong and vendors have already completed the testing for the 5G CPE routers supporting the 700MHz band spectrum and the routers will be launched to the market soon.

5G CPE routers supporting 700MHz band of spectrum

• OPPO T1a
• TCL HH500V
• CPE Pro 2 and Pro 3

5G handsets supporting 700MHz band of spectrum are available in 3 Hong Kong
Different kinds of 5G handsets supporting the 700MHz band spectrum are available in 3 Hong Kong now (See below table). Customers can visit 3Shops or go to www.three.com.hk for more information.

5G handsets supporting 700MHz band of spectrum

Launch of HK$88 5G broadband plan to raise 5G home broadband penetration rate
To enable customers to enjoy the benefits brought by 5G and increase 3 Hong Kong's 5G home broadband penetration rate to a double-digit figure#, 3 Hong Kong has specially launched an attractive 5G broadband plan to tie in with the fresh round of consumption vouchers to be disbursed by the government in August. Customers can connect to the strongest network in Hong Kong for HK$88* a month. No landlines. Just plug and play. Customers can go beyond the restriction of traditional broadband services with 3 Hong Kong's 5G broadband plan. They can also match the broadband service with 5G Wi-Fi 6 routers to connect all smart devices at home.

# It is expected that the ratio between the number of 3 Hong Kong's 5G broadband subscriptions and 3 Hong Kong's total number of households will increase to a double-digit figure within 12 months (i.e. on or before 29 June 2023).

^ Based on the test results in relation to 3 Hong Kong's 5G network and population distribution of Hong Kong conducted in January 2021.

* The fee includes the monthly rental fee of a 5G router. The rented 5G router under this plan is a refurbished unit and supplies are limited. An admin fee of HK$18 per month is required.

About 3 Hong Kong
Leading mobile operator 3 Hong Kong is flourishing into a digital operator ideally prepared for the era of 5G mobile broadband. The company plays a prominent role in developing a new economy ecosystem by serving consumer and corporate customers from a diversity of capabilities in fields such as the Internet-of-Things (IoT) concept and 5G technology. Operating under the 3Supreme, 3 and MO+ brands, 3 Hong Kong offers advanced data and roaming services as well as ultrahigh speed 5G Broadband.

3 Hong Kong tailors one-stop solutions comprising network services, mobile devices, consultancy, project implementation and technical support to help enterprises boost efficiency and competitiveness. Our "3Innocity" programme provides a means of collaborating with start-ups and global enterprises to create digital-age applications and explore business opportunities in mobility, as well as artificial intelligence, block chain, cloud computing, big data, NFT and virtual reality. In addition to meeting the needs of consumer and corporate customers, 3 Hong Kong contributes to Hong Kong's development as a smart city.

3 Hong Kong is the mobile division of Hutchison Telecommunications Hong Kong Holdings Limited (stock code: 215), a group member of CK Hutchison Holdings (stock code: 1).

For more information on 3 Hong Kong, visit www.three.com.hk. For more information on HTHKH, visit www.hthkh.com.