South Lantau’s internet is finally starting to catch up to the rest of Hong Kong, with more fibre connectivity promised.

Telco HGC and partner Top Express have just launched a high-speed fibre service in the Mui Wo villages of Luk Tei Tong, Tai Tei Tung and Pak Ngan Heung and are now targeting Cheung Sha, Tong Fuk and Pui O.

They have letterboxed households in those areas offering 1000 Mbps for HK$358 per month, with the first six months free. However, their estimate of November 30 2017 service start is likely ambitious. Top Express’s initial offer in Mui Wo, in January last year, promised start of service by May 2016 – a year ahead of actual delivery.

While optical fibre is accessible to 84% of Hong Kong households, according to PCCW, much of rural Hong Kong is still serviced by early generation copper networks, delivering effective downlink speeds of about 5Mbps.

Top Express, a specialist in building utility infrastructure, says it plans to extend optical fibre to 600 of the SAR’s 774 villages and lease out the capacity to a telecom service provider.

For most of South Lantau, PCCW is the sole fixed network operator. It upgraded its network in Ham Tin, Pui O and Tong Fuk last year to provide 100 Mbps down/30Mbps up.

It is also promised to bring fibre to Mui Wo as part of its rural Hong Kong upgrade programme, but has offered no specifics.

In a statement emailed to Lantau News, HGC said it “has been exploring different ways to extend high-speed and reliable residential broadband network service to outlying islands and village houses.”

Photo (above): Nokia Networks