With a population attuned to the latest technologies, the Government sees great potential in applying mobile technology to the delivery of government information and services. Here are the government vision and a few examples of the initiatives undertaken by different government entities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that everyone in Hong Kong benefits from the latest developments in mobile technology. With support from the Government, the Hong Kong Wireless Technology Industry Association has established a wireless development centre to promote the development, testing and marketing of innovative applications and services.

Complementing the commercial provision of Wi-Fi hotspots, the Government has earmarked HK$210 million to provide Wi-Fi networks in selected government venues over the next two years, starting from 2007. The Wi-Fi networks, which will be available for free use by the public, will first be installed in all public libraries, major cultural and recreational centres, community halls, large parks and those government offices frequently visited by members of the public.

In its own service delivery, the Government now provides a range of information for users of mobile devices, covering traffic, weather, air pollution index and news, etc. Some examples of popular government information available to people on the go are outlined below.

GovHK Mobile Version carries the most popular public information such as weather, traffic, air pollution index and Government news, etc. Users can also find a list of useful telephone numbers available within the Government, and links to other Government websites that have been tailor-made for access via mobile devices.

• GovHK Mobile Version
  http://www.gov.hk/mobile/en/

The Transport Department provides live traffic information through a PDA website, with minimal use of text and graphics for quick loading. The site provides:

• Warnings about events that are causing trouble to traffic;
• Information on temporary traffic and transport arrangements;
• Estimated cross-harbour journey time; and
• CCTV snapshots of current traffic condition.

With this information at your fingertips, you can now plan your driving with ease.

• PDA website for traffic information
  http://pda.td.gov.hk/eng/index.htm

For people interested in keeping track of local and regional weather, the Hong Kong Observatory offers a wealth of information on its PDA website, including:

• Local weather warnings, including typhoon signals;
• Comprehensive reports on regional weather in Hong Kong; and
• Local, mainland China and major world city weather forecasts;

The site also provides an email link for suggestions, so you can tell the Observatory your opinion and what information benefits you the most.

• PDA website for weather information
  http://pda.hko.gov.hk/maine.htm

Besides news releases and updates on initiatives, the PDA website of the Environmental Protection Department (EPD) provides the latest water quality gradings of bathing beaches and Air Pollution Index (API) readings from the roadside and general air quality monitoring stations.

• PDA website for environmental and pollution information
  http://www.epd.gov.hk/epd/pda/index.html

Through the PDA version of its news.gov.hk website, the Government provides news for people on the move. You can download the latest information when you need it, or learn how to synchronise the site and your PDA so that you can read the stories at your leisure.

• More on downloading news and press releases to your PDA
  http://www.news.gov.hk/en/pdainstruction.htm