11 December, 2023, Hong Kong / Macau – CTM joined hands with China Mobile Hong Kong, through international roaming hub (IPX) platform of CITIC Telecom, to realize the first 5G SA+VoNR roaming trial between Hong Kong and Macau which can further enhance 5G roaming service experience. The collaboration provides a new 5G roaming service with seamless, high-speed and high security experiences, at the same time further promote the 5G integration development of the Guangdong Hong Kong and Macau Greater Bay Area smart city.

Mr. Sean Lee, Director and CEO of China Mobile Hong Kong (CMHK) said, “As a 5G leader in Hong Kong, CMHK has not only been the first to build and commercially deploy 5G networks but has also excelled in attracting over a million 5G customers. The 5G network coverage is continually expanding. Beyond driving 5G development in Hong Kong, CMHK as the roaming expert in Hong Kong, is committed to connect customers to every corner of the globe. Currently, our roaming services cover 305 countries/regions globally, with 5G roaming services available in 106 countries/regions, leading the market. Today, I am pleased to announce that we have achieved the first 5G SA+VoNR roaming trial in the Hong Kong-Macau region through deep and close collaboration with CTM, marking a milestone in leading 5G technology development. In the future, we hope to continue strengthening synergy with CTM and other stakeholders for innovations, to deliver a high-quality, seamless communication experience for customers and drive the digital economy development in Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area.”

Mr. Dickson Ip, Chief Technology Officer at CITIC Telecom said, “As a key hub for cross-border connectivity and interconnectivity among 5G mobile operators in the Asia-Pacific region, CITIC Telecom is honoured to participate in the international roaming trial in enabling the realization of the 5G SA network mode within the Greater Bay Area, where the company has played a critical role in the interoperability and network connectivity process. CITIC Telecom offers a comprehensive solution for international roaming services in 5G SA network mode, including high-quality IP Exchange (IPX), hosted Secure Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP) platforms and the SEPP-to-SEPP interconnection gateway that comply with GSMA’s technical standards. This solution enables seamless connectivity between the 5G SA networks of China Mobile Hong Kong and CTM, with seamless, high-speed, low-latency internet access and VoNR (Voice over New Radio) HD voice services while roaming in 5G SA network mode.”

Ms. Ebel Cham, Vice President of Commercial, CTM said, “To provide seamless and wide range roaming service, CTM actively cooperates with telecom operators worldwide to consistently extend roaming destinations. Currently, CTM reached bilateral 5G roaming service with 98 telecom operators which support 5G services in 120 countries or regions worldwide. It is honored to join hands with CITIC Telecom, our shareholder, and China Mobile Hong Kong to complete the first 5G SA roaming service trial, which provided higher quality service with high speed and secure 5G roaming service experience. This is another achievement of telecommunication in promoting the integration of Greater Bay Area after the launch of the “Greater Bay Area Service Plan” in Hong Kong and Macau in 2017. Currently, majority of customer use 3-Destinations Plan, we envisage that the realization of 5G SA+VoNR roaming service within Hong Kong and Macau will bring higher-quality experience of closer communications to citizens within the Greater Bay Area.”

Going forward, China Mobile Hong Kong, CITIC Telecom and CTM will further deepen collaborations on communications services and smart application scenarios, strive to accelerate the integrated development of Guangdong Hong Kong Macau Greater Bay Area smart cities cluster.