Hong Kong Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Publication Date: June 2026

Report Pages: 201

Analyst: Henry Lancaster

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Summary
Table Of Contents

New subsea cables required for Hong Kong’s internet bandwidth needs

Hong Kong telecom’s sector has capitalised on having a liberalised regulatory environment, high-density housing spread across a small geographical area, and a strategic location at the southern tip of China. The territory ranks highly in several telecom parameters, including fibre broadband penetration, 5G use, and mobile penetration. Fixed-line teledensity remains relatively high but is decreasing steadily as consumers continue to transition to mobile and IP platforms.

As China tightens its grip on the sovereignty of the territory and imposes political, commercial, and social restrictions that were absent during the British Colonial era, Hong Kong is starting to see its potency as a regional force being eaten away by countries such as Singapore which now offer much greater freedom to operate.

Concerns over national security prompted the US Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, and Defense to prevent the branch line of the newly completed Pacific Light Cable Network (PLCN) linking Los Angeles with Taiwan from being lit. And ongoing issues with the deployment of Huawei technology inside the core infrastructure of telecom networks (something that has been done extensively in Hong Kong, including in its 5G networks) means that the territory – along with its telecom sector – may become increasingly isolated from the rest of the world. Consequently, Hong Kong is likely to drop from its position as a regional leader in the telecom market.

Despite this, there is considerable demand for internet bandwidth, and this has encouraged investment in new subsea cables including Southeast Asia–Japan 2, South-East Asia Hainan-Hong Kong Express Cable System, Asia–Africa–Europe-2, and upgrades to the Asia Submarine-cable Express.

Key Developments

Hutchison Telecom collaborates with Huawei to deploy AI and big data solutions to better manage network efficiency.
SJC2 cable connecting Hong Kong with Singapore and Japan goes live.
3 Hong Kong launches 5.5G services providing download speeds reaching 3.08Gb/s.
China Mobile HK closes down its 3G network.
Report update includes the regulator's market data to September 2025, telcos' financial and operating data updates to fiscal 2025, updated Telecom Maturity Index charts and analyses, and recent market developments.

Key companies mentioned in this report:

Hong Kong Telecom (HKT), Hutchison Telecom (Hutchison 3), SmarTone, China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK), Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN), i-Cable, HGC Global Communications.

Key statistics
Regional Asia market comparison

Market characteristics
Market Leaders
Market Challengers
Market Emergents
TMI vs GDP
Mobile and mobile broadband penetration
Fixed versus mobile broadband penetration

Country overview
Telecommunications market
Regulatory environment

Regulatory authority
Fixed-line developments

Telecom Sector Liberalisation
Universal Service Obligation (USO)
Digital 21 IT Strategy
Fibre infrastructure to villages
Number Portability (NP)

Mobile network developments

Spectrum
SIM card registration
Mobile Number Portability (MNP)

Mobile market

Mobile infrastructure

6G
5G
LTE
3G
GSM
Mobile voice
Mobile data

Mobile broadband
Major mobile operators

Hong Kong Telecom (HKT)
Hutchison Telecom (Hutchison 3, 3 Hong Kong)
SmarTone
China Mobile Hong Kong
Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs)

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed broadband service providers
Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) networks
Hybrid Fibre Coax (HFC) networks
Fibre-to-the-Premises (FttP) networks

Hong Kong Broadband Network (HKBN)
Hong Kong Telecom (HKT)
i-Cable

Other fixed broadband services

Wi-Fi

Fixed network operators

Hong Kong Telecom (HKT)
HKBN
Hutchison Telecom Hong Kong Holdings (HTHKH)
HGC Global Communications
i-Cable

Telecommunications infrastructure

International infrastructure

Submarine cable networks
Satellite

Data centres
Smart infrastructure

Smart Cities
IoT

Digital economy

E-Government

Appendix – Historic data
Glossary of abbreviations
Related reports

List of Tables

Table 1 – Top Level Country Statistics and Telco Authorities – Hong Kong – 2026 (e)
Table 2 – Development of telecom market revenue and investment (HK$ million) – 2011 – 2024
Table 3 – Change in the number of fixed numbers ported – 2011 – 2024
Table 4 – Change in the number of mobile numbers ported – 2011 – 2024
Table 5 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2028
Table 6 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract mobile subscribers– 2013 – 2025
Table 7 – Change in the number of mobile subscriptions by technology – 2014 – 2025
Table 8 – Increase in the number of 3 Hong Kong’s 5G subscribers– 2020 – 2025
Table 9 – Increase in the number of HKT’s 5G subscribers– 2020 – 2025
Table 10 – Increase in mobile data traffic – 2013 – 2025
Table 11 – Development of SMS traffic – 2013 – 2025
Table 12 – Development of SMS traffic per subscriber – 2013 – 2025
Table 13 – Change in the number of M2M connections – 2018 – 2025
Table 14 – Growth in the number of mobile internet subscribers – 2013 – 2025
Table 15 – Growth in the number of active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2028
Table 16 – Growth in the number of HKT’s mobile subscribers by type (million) – 2010 – 2025
Table 17 – Development of HKT’s mobile financial data (HK$ million) – 2010 – 2025
Table 18 – Change in the number of 3 Hong Kong’s active mobile subscribers (million) – 2011 – 2025
Table 19 – Development of 3 Hong Kong’s financial data (HK$ million) – 2011 – 2025
Table 20 – Development of 3 Hong Kong’s revenue by type (HK$ million) – 2011 – 2025
Table 21 – Development of 3 Hong Kong’s annualised postpaid ARPU, AMPU (HK$/month) and churn – 2012 – 2025
Table 22 – Growth in the number of SmarTone’s mobile subscribers – 2009 – 2024
Table 23 – Development of SmarTone Group’s financial data (HK$ million) – 2009 – 2025
Table 24 – Change in SmarTone’s mobile postpaid ARPU – 2009 – 2025
Table 25 – Change in the number of MVNO subscribers – 2011 – 2025
Table 26 – Change in the number of HKBN’s mobile subscribers – 2017 – 2025
Table 27 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2028
Table 28 – Growth in the number of residential/business broadband subscribers (million) – 2011 – 2025
Table 29 – Increase in fixed broadband traffic – 2011 – 2025
Table 30 – Decline in the number of dial-up internet connections – 2010 – 2025
Table 31 – Change in the number of residential fixed broadband lines by data rate – 2019 – 2025
Table 32 – Change in the number of business fixed broadband lines by data rate – 2019 – 2025
Table 33 – Decline in the number of HKT’s VDSL subscribers – 2019 – 2022
Table 34 – Growth in the number of HKBN’s broadband subscribers (thousand) – 2010 – 2025
Table 35 – Development of HKBN’s fixed broadband ARPU (HK$/month) – 2014 – 2025
Table 36 – Development of HKBN’s financial data (HK$ million) – 2014 – 2025
Table 37 – Development of HKBN’s financial data by segment (HK$ million) – 2016 – 2025
Table 38 – Growth in the number of HKT’s fixed broadband subscribers (thousand) – 2011 – 2025
Table 39 – Growth in the number of HKT’s fibre broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2025
Table 40 – Change in the number of i-Cable’s broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Table 41 – Growth in the number of public Wi-Fi access points and Wi-Fi zones – 2011 – 2025
Table 42 – Change in HKT’s telecom service revenue (HK$ million)– 2017 – 2025
Table 43 – Growth in the number of HKBN’s networked premises – 2014 – 2025
Table 44 – Change in the number of HKBN’s fixed-voice subscribers – 2015 – 2025
Table 45 – Change in the number of i-Cable’s subscribers by service (thousand) – 2011 – 2022
Table 46 – Development of i-Cable’s financial data (HK$ million) – 2017 – 2025
Table 47 – Development of i-Cable’s telecom services revenue – 2020 – 2025
Table 48 – Decline in the number of fixed lines and teledensity– 2014 – 2028
Table 49 – Increase in international bandwidth (Gb/s) – 2010 – 2025
Table 50 – Growth in equipped and activated satellite bandwidth capacity (Gb/s) – 2010 – 2023
Table 51 – Historic - Fixed numbers ported – 2005 – 2010
Table 52 – Historic - Total mobile numbers ported – 2000 – 2010
Table 53 – Historic - Mobile subscribers, annual change, and penetration – 1984 – 2013
Table 54 – Historic - Active mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2012 – 2013
Table 55 – Historic - HKT prepaid and postpaid subscribers (million) – 2005 – 2008
Table 56 – Historic - 3 Hutchison mobile subscribers (million) – 1998 – 2010
Table 57 – Historic - 3 Hutchison - mobile subscribers 2G and 3G postpaid and total – 2008 – 2014
Table 58 – Historic - China Mobile Hong Kong - subscribers – 2007 – 2010
Table 59 – Historic - MVNO subscribers – 2007 – 2010
Table 60 – Historic - Fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2000 – 2013
Table 61 – Historic - Fixed broadband residential / business internet subscribers – 2000 – 2010
Table 62 – Historic - Residential broadband subscriptions by technology platform (thousand) – 2010 – 2014
Table 63 – Historic - Residential broadband ARPU – 2010 – 2013
Table 64 – Historic - HKT broadband subscribers (thousand) – 2007 – 2010
Table 65 – Historic - Wi-Fi access points and Wi-Fi zones – 2007 – 2010
Table 66 – Historic - i-Cable subscribers per service – 2002 – 2010
Table 67 – Historic - Fixed lines in service and penetration – 2007 – 2013
Table 68 – Historic - Fixed-line telephony subscribers (million) – 2000 – 2010

List of Charts

Chart 1 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Leaders
Chart 2 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Challengers
Chart 3 – Asia Telecoms Maturity Index – Market Emergents
Chart 4 – Asia – Telecoms Maturity Index vs GDP per capita
Chart 5 – Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 6 – South East Asia – Mobile subscriber penetration vs mobile broadband penetration
Chart 7 – South East Asia – Fixed and mobile broadband penetration
Chart 8 – Development of telecom market revenue and investment – 2011 – 2024
Chart 9 – Change in the number of fixed numbers ported – 2011 – 2024
Chart 10 – Change in the number of mobile numbers ported – 2011 – 2024
Chart 11 – Growth in the number of mobile subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2028
Chart 12 – Change in the number of prepaid and contract mobile subscribers– 2013 – 2025
Chart 13 – Change in the number of mobile subscriptions by technology – 2014 – 2025
Chart 14 – Increase in mobile data traffic – 2013 – 2025
Chart 15 – Development of SMS traffic – 2013 – 2025
Chart 16 – Development of SMS traffic per subscriber – 2013 – 2025
Chart 17 – Change in the number of M2M connections – 2018 – 2025
Chart 18 – Growth in the number of mobile internet subscribers – 2013 – 2025
Chart 19 – Growth in the number of mobile broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2028
Chart 20 – Growth in the number of HKT’s mobile subscribers by type – 2014 – 2025
Chart 21 – Development of HKT’s mobile financial data – 2015 – 2025
Chart 22 – Change in the number of 3 Hong Kong’s mobile subscribers – 2014 – 2025
Chart 23 – Development of 3 Hong Kong’s financial data – 2014 – 2025
Chart 24 – Development of 3 Hong Kong’s revenue by type – 2017 – 2025
Chart 25 – Development of 3 Hong Kong’s annualised postpaid ARPU, AMPU (HK$/month) – 2012 – 2025
Chart 26 – Growth in the number of SmarTone’s mobile subscribers – 2009 – 2024
Chart 27 – Development of SmarTone’s financial data – 2014 – 2025
Chart 28 – Change in SmarTone’s mobile postpaid ARPU – 2014 – 2025
Chart 29 – Change in the number of MVNO subscribers – 2011 – 2025
Chart 30 – Change in the number of HKBN’s mobile subscribers – 2017 – 2025
Chart 31 – Growth in the number of fixed broadband subscribers and penetration – 2014 – 2028
Chart 32 – Growth in the number of residential/business broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2025
Chart 33 – Increase in fixed broadband traffic – 2011 – 2025
Chart 34 – Decline in the number of dial-up internet connections – 2010 – 2025
Chart 35 – Change in the number of residential fixed broadband lines by data rate – 2019 – 2025
Chart 36 – Change in the number of business fixed broadband lines by data rate – 2019 – 2025
Chart 37 – Growth in the number of HKBN’s broadband subscribers – 2014 – 2025
Chart 38 – Development of HKBN’s fixed broadband ARPU – 2014 – 2025
Chart 39 – Development of HKBN’s financial data – 2014 – 2025
Chart 40 – Development of HKBN’s financial data by segment – 2016 – 2025
Chart 41 – Growth in the number of HKT’s fixed broadband subscribers – 2014 – 2025
Chart 42 – Growth in the number of HKT’s fibre broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2025
Chart 43 – Change in the number of i-Cable’s broadband subscribers – 2011 – 2022
Chart 44 – Growth in the number of public Wi-Fi access points and Wi-Fi zones – 2011 – 2025
Chart 45 – Change in HKT’s telecom service revenue – 2017 – 2025
Chart 46 – Growth in the number of HKBN’s networked premises – 2014 – 2025
Chart 47 – Change in the number of HKBN’s fixed-voice subscribers – 2015 – 2025
Chart 48 – Change in the number of i-Cable’s subscribers by service – 2011 – 2022
Chart 49 – Development of i-Cable’s financial data (HK$ million) – 2017 – 2025
Chart 50 – Decline in the number of fixed lines and teledensity – 2014 – 2028
Chart 51 – Increase in international bandwidth – 2010 – 2025
Chart 52 – Growth in equipped and activated satellite bandwidth capacity – 2010 – 2022

List of Exhibits

Exhibit 1 – Map of Telecom Maturity Index global ranking among countries in Asia
Exhibit 2 – Generalised Market Characteristics by Market Segment
Exhibit 3 – Asia – Market Leaders and market developments
Exhibit 4 – Asia – Market Challengers and market developments
Exhibit 5 – Asia – Market Emergents and market developments
Exhibit 6 – 6-7GHz auction results - 2024
Exhibit 7 – 2.5GHz auction results – 2009
Exhibit 8 – 2.5GHz auction results – 2025
Exhibit 9 – 2.3GHz auction results – 2011
Exhibit 10 – 850/900MHz and 2.3GHz auction results - 2024
Exhibit 11 – 3.3GHz auction results - 2019
Exhibit 12 – 3.5GHz auction results - 2019
Exhibit 13 – 4.9GHz auction results - 2019
Exhibit 14 – HTHKH’s frequency allocations
Exhibit 15 – SmarTone’s spectrum holdings
Exhibit 16 – Fixed carrier licensees
Exhibit 17 – Major submarine cables with landing points in Hong Kong

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Hong Kong Telecoms Market Report

Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses

Purchase this Report

New subsea cables required for Hong Kong’s internet bandwidth needs

Key Developments

Key companies mentioned in this report:

Key statistics

Regional Asia market comparison

Country overview

Telecommunications market

Regulatory environment

Mobile market

Fixed-line broadband market

Fixed network operators

Telecommunications infrastructure

Digital economy

Appendix – Historic data

Glossary of abbreviations

Related reports

Purchase this Report

Share this Report

TMT Intelligence

A platform to scale your intelligence tasks

Research Methodology

Hot Topics

News & Views