SmarTone

SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Limited

Company type	Public
Industry	Telecommunications
Founded	1992
Founder	Sun Hung Kai Properties, ABC Communications
Headquarters	Hong Kong , Hong Kong
Area served	Hong Kong, Macau
Products	Voice communication, multimedia services, mobile broadband, fixed fibre broadband, Home 5G Broadband
Owner	Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited (parent company)
Parent	Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited
Website	www.smartone.com

SmarTone Telecommunications Holdings Limited (0315.HK), a subsidiary of Sun Hung Kai Properties Limited, has been publicly traded in Hong Kong since 1996. It stands as a prominent telecom operator in the region, providing a range of services through its Hong Kong subsidiaries, including voice communication, multimedia offerings, mobile broadband, and fixed fibre broadband solutions tailored for both individual consumers and business clients. Since May 2020, SmarTone has been at the forefront of 5G advancement in Hong Kong, rolling out comprehensive 5G coverage across the territory. Additionally, it was the pioneer in launching Home 5G Broadband services within the market.

History

Established in 1992 through a collaboration between Sun Hung Kai Properties and ABC Communications, SmarTone commenced its operations in March 1993 as Hong Kong and Asia’s inaugural GSM network. Following the acquisition of P Plus Communications in 1998, it operated the GSM-1800 brand EXTRA; by 2002, EXTRA was fully integrated into SmarTone’s dual-band network.

In April 2005, after forming a partnership with Vodafone in December 2004, SmarTone introduced the "SmarTone-Vodafone" brand exclusively for its Hong Kong market while maintaining its original branding in Macau. This alliance concluded in December 2011, after which the company reverted solely to the SmarTone name.

January 2018 saw SmarTone launch Birdie, a brand aimed at millennials offering flexible local mobile plans without contracts alongside travel data SIM cards.

By March 2019, SmarTone conducted Hong Kong’s first simultaneous live 5G field trial on both 3.5 GHz and 28 GHz frequency bands. The company commenced full-scale commercial 5G services in May 2020 with extensive coverage indoors and outdoors. Later that year, in September, it became the first to offer Home 5G Broadband Service in Hong Kong, delivering ultra-high-speed connectivity with simple plug-and-play setup.

In May 2021, SmarTone inaugurated its ‘5G LAB’ at the Sky100 Observation Deck to display its latest innovations in 5G technology and strengthen its position as a global leader.

In December 2022, SmarTone collaborated with The Point, Sun Hung Kai Properties’ integrated loyalty scheme, allowing customers to accumulate bonus points through qualifying purchases.

Hong Kong

Frequencies utilized by SmarTone in Hong Kong

Frequency	Bandwidth	Technology	Remarks
700 MHz (713~718; 768~773)	2*5 MHz		[1]
850 MHz (825~837.5; 870~882.5)	2*12.5 MHz	GSM/LTE
900 MHz (910~915;955~960)	2*5 MHz	GSM/LTE
1800 MHz (1710~1720;1805~1815)+(1740~1750;1835~1845)	Two non-contiguous blocks of 20 MHz each	GSM/LTE
2100 MHz (1920.3–1925.3;2110.3–2115.3)+(1960.0–1964.9;2150.0–2154.9)	Two separate blocks of 20 MHz each	LTE
2600 MHz (2520~2530;2640~2650)	2*10 MHz	LTE
3.3 GHz (3360~3380)	20 MHz
3.5 GHz (3510~3560)	50 MHz
4.9 GHz (4920-4960)	40 MHz

2G

• March 1993 – Rolled out Asia’s inaugural GSM mobile network
• December 1993 – Launched Asia’s pioneering automatic GSM roaming service
• December 2002 – Introduced SmarTone iN!, an exclusive advanced multimedia mobile portal
• August 2012 – Reallocated the 1800 MHz frequency band to support its 4G LTE network
• September 2014 – Initiated re-farming of the 900 MHz spectrum to boost 4G LTE coverage, with completion aimed by the end of 2014
• August 2022 – Declared discontinuation of 2G services effective October 14, repurposing the spectrum for enhanced 4G and 5G deployment

3G

• December 2004 – Commenced commercial launch of 3G services
• July 2007 – Became the first worldwide to enable flash video streaming on any 3G feature phone
• April 2010 – Deployed a high-speed HSPA+ network capable of delivering up to 28.8 Mbit/s
• September 2001 – Obtained Hong Kong’s 3G license through a competitive auction
• March 2011 – Secured the 850 MHz frequency band via auction to support its expanding 3G offerings

4G

• August 2012 – Introduced 4G service utilizing the 1800 MHz band, compatible with all Hong Kong’s 4G smartphones. The choice of the 1800 MHz spectrum provides improved indoor signal penetration compared to higher frequencies.
• September 2012 – Recognized as the sole Hong Kong operator authorized by Apple to deliver 4G connectivity on the iPhone 5, highlighting exclusive network access for this handset.
• November 2012 – Extended LTE coverage to all MTR Island Line stations, with a goal to achieve full station and tunnel coverage by early 2013.
• January 2013 – Activated LTE across seven MTR lines (Island, Kwun Tong, Tsuen Wan, Tseung Kwan O, Tung Chung, Disney, Airport Express). Successfully acquired an additional 2 x 10 MHz at the 2600 MHz band to increase capacity and enhance data speeds.
• December 2013 – Broadened LTE coverage to KCR lines including East Rail, West Rail, Ma On Shan, as well as Lok Ma Chau Line.
• August 2014 – Launched VoLTE services initially compatible with selected smartphone models.
• September 2014 – Started re-farming the legacy 900 MHz spectrum from 2G to bolster indoor LTE coverage, targeting completion within the year. This strategy incorporated cell densification, small cell deployment, LTE-Advanced technologies, and spectrum refarming to address growing data traffic demands.
• October 2016 – Expanded LTE service to new stations on the MTR Kwun Tong Line Extension: Whampoa and Ho Man Tin.
• December 2016 – Deployed enhanced 4.5G coverage on the South Island Line (Ocean Park, Wong Chuk Hang, Lei Tung, South Horizons) and introduced additional spectrum at 2100 MHz across all MTR routes.

5G

• November 2016 – Entered a five-year partnership with Ericsson focused on advancing early-stage trials and pilot deployments of pre-5G technologies starting in Q4 of that year.
• May 2020 – Officially launched commercial-grade 5G services in Hong Kong.
• September 2020 – Rolled out Home 5G Broadband Service aimed at residential users.
• October 2021 – Acquired an additional 65 MHz of New Radio Spectrum to increase network capacity for anticipated future business expansion in the 5G domain.
• May 2022 – Extended comprehensive 5G coverage to the East Rail Line cross-harbour extension, ensuring seamless connectivity throughout all Hong Kong MTR stations.
• December 2022 – Further expanded the 5G footprint to include Tseung Kwan O–Lam Tin Tunnel and Cross Bay Link, strengthening infrastructure connectivity.

Macau

The 2G, 3G, and 4G networks operated by SmarTone Macau were constructed with technology from Nokia Networks.

2G

• July 2001 – Initiated GSM mobile services in Macau.
• By December 31, 2003, the estimated market share stood near 11%.
• 2019 – Discontinued 2G services following the official shutdown of Macau’s 2G network.

3G

• July 2010 – Rolled out 3G services in Macau.

4G

• November 2015 – Introduced 4G services in Macau.
• August 2024 – SmarTone submitted an application to relinquish its 4G license and intends not to renew its 3G license upon expiry. At that point, the Macau SAR Government reported SmarTone held a single-digit market share.
• Until ceasing operations, SmarTone MAC was the sole provider in Macau without VoLTE support.

Frequencies allocated to SmarTone in Macau (Prior to ceasing operations)

Frequency	Bandwidth	Technology	Remarks
1800 MHz (1750-1760; 1845-1855)	2*10 MHz	LTE
2100 MHz (1930-1935; 2120-2125)	2*5 MHz	UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+

Home 5G Broadband Service

In September 2020, SmarTone became the first telecom provider in Hong Kong to launch Home 5G Broadband, offering ultra-high-speed connectivity with easy plug-and-play installation and fibre-free convenience for residential customers.

Fibre Broadband Service

In 2014, SmarTone introduced its fibre broadband offerings aimed at both residential and business users.

See also

• List of companies of Hong Kong