■香港政府在公眾地方提供的Wi-Fi，經常被詬病覆蓋率低及網速慢。 網上圖片【原文】政府自2007年起推出Wi-Fi通服務，在選定的政府場地為市民提供免費Wi-Fi服務。不過，審計署根據資科辦在去年的周年服務檢查結果，發現在3,087個熱點中，有1,171個 (38%) 的下載速度未達承諾 ，另有10個無法建立Wi-Fi連線。政府投巨資打造的免費Wi-Fi效果令人失望，明顯落後於內地和國際其他城市，完全無法適應香港建設「智慧城市」的要求。香港智慧城市的規劃本已前瞻不夠，實施起來又拖拖拉拉，只會令香港進一步被邊緣化，政府某些部門必須革除懶政、Hea做的陋習，增強本港網絡基建，避免香港被全球智慧城市的潮流淘汰。
智慧城市恐淪空談
政府2008年投資5億港元推出「香港政府Wi-Fi通」計劃，為市民及機構提供免費Wi-Fi服務，現建成了3,087個免費Wi-Fi熱點，卻有近四成網速未能達標；另外政府與私營機構合作在185個公眾地方建設Wi-Fi熱點，限期前只12個推出服務。政府於2014年8月推出「Wi-Fi.HK」品牌，2016年施政報告計劃3年內建成3萬4千個免費Wi-Fi熱點，如今建成的只有2萬多個。進入移動網絡年代，快速普及免費的Wi-Fi網絡，是最基本的設施，若此基建滿足不了市民需求，建設智慧城市只能淪為空談。
為市民提供優質免費Wi-Fi網絡，是當今世界先進城市的通行做法，由政府投資強力打造、免費提供，國際先進城市早已不再視免費Wi-Fi為商品，而是看成為如同水電一樣的必需品。芬蘭首都赫爾辛基市內任何地方，均已可透過免費Wi-Fi進行視像通訊和觀看高清串流影片。與香港一河之隔的深圳，已實現重要公共場所免費WLAN基本覆蓋，重慶已開通的5G試驗網，免費試驗者獲得的網速超過10G，一秒鐘就能下載完一部兩小時的高清電影。
Wi-Fi發展落後 損形象斷未來
當今世界，建設智慧城市乃大勢所趨，雖然本港2017年12月公佈《香港智慧城市藍圖》，就智慧出行、智慧生活、智慧環境、智慧市民、智慧政府及智慧經濟這六個主要範疇，提出發展建議，但這個計劃，相比國家雄安新區的智慧城市戰略、深圳智慧城市規劃，已顯前瞻性不足。現在香港連免費Wi-Fi的基建都拖拖拉拉，如何讓港人對實現香港智慧城市的藍圖有信心？
見微知著，香港免費Wi-Fi發展不盡如人意，在相當程度上顯示香港推動新科技的意識落後，對未來的把握能力和藍圖的實施能力不足，政府推動創新的決心和能力更須跟上時代的步伐，若仍抱任由市場自行運作的心態，損害的不僅是香港國際大都市的形象，更斷送掉香港的未來。 （標題及小標題為編輯所加） （摘錄自香港文匯報社評26-4-2018)
Public Wi-Fi is key to smart city
【譯文】GovWi-Fi, introduced by the government in 2007, has been providing free wireless internet access in chosen government venues across the city. But based on the results from the annual service inspections carried out by the Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, the Audit Commission found that download speeds at 1,171 out of 3,087 (38 per cent). GovWi-Fi hotspots are below target, with another ten failing to establish any connection.
Considering that the government invested heavily on its promotion, GovWi-Fi has turned out to be a disappointment - it is inadequate in suiting the needs of Hong Kong's smart city drive, and is clearly lagging behind our counterparts in mainland China and the rest of the world. The government's plan to build a smart city is lacking in vision already. The authorities' bureaucratic practices and slow pace of action would lead to further marginalisation of Hong Kong. If we do not want to be left in the dust, the authorities must improve their performance and start building up the local network infrastructure.
GovWi-Fi slammed for slow speed
In 2008, the government invested HK$ 500 million to launch GovWi-Fi in a bid to provide free Wi-Fi to citizens and organisations. Some 3,087 Wi-Fi hotspots were built ever since, yet the connection speed of nearly 40 per cent of them fails to reach the original target. In another public-private collaboration program, Wi-Fi hotspots were planned to be built in 185 public venues. However, only 12 made it into service before the deadline.
The government also launched the Wi-Fi.HK brand in August 2014, of which 34,000 free Wi-Fi hotspots were pledged to be built by 2019 according to the 2016 policy address. Today, only around 20,000 are built. In an era of mobile connectivity, Wi-Fi networks that are speedy, ubiquitous and free of charge have become a basic necessity. It is meaningless to talk about building a smart city if even the basic infrastructure fails to meet the demands of the public.
Wi-Fi has become a basic need
It is now a trend for modern cities to provide high-quality and free public Wi-Fi networks. For many of our counterparts, Wi-Fi connections are no longer seen as a commodity. Instead, it has become a public utility just like energy and water. For instance, one can watch high-definition streaming videos or make video calls via free Wi-Fi connections anywhere in Helsinki, Finland.
On the other side of the Shenzhen River, free wireless local area network（WLAN）is now available in all public venues. In Chongqing where a 5G test network has been setup, trial users have enjoyed download speeds of over 10 gigabytes per second（Gbps）. With download speed as high as this, a two-hour movie could be downloaded within a second.
Hong Kong must catch up
In today's world, it has become an irresistible trend for cities to move towards becoming smart cities. The government did release the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong in December 2017, with recommendations being made in the six major areas of "Smart Mobility", "Smart Living", "Smart Environment", "Smart People", "Smart Government" and "Smart Economy".
However, the blueprint is the least forward-looking one when compared with the smart city strategies of Shenzhen and the Xiongan New Area in mainland China. Given such circumstances, how could the people of Hong Kong be confident in the blueprint if the government could not even build the infrastructure right?
As one tiny clue reveals the general situation, the perplexity of our free Wi-Fi developments to a certain extent reveals Hong Kong's lack of vision, initiative and awareness in new technologies. The government's determination and ability to promote innovation must keep pace with the times. If the government continues to cling on its laissez-faire mentality, the future of Hong Kong would be gone along with the leading position as a key metropolitan city in the world.
■ Jeffrey Tse[ywc_jeffrey@hotmail.com]
Exercise
1. 無線區域網絡
2. 無人駕駛汽車
3. 資訊及通訊科技
4. 互聯網協定通話技術
5. 第五代行動通訊系統
Answers
1. wireless local area network（WLAN）
2. autonomous car
3. information and communications technology（ICT）
4. voice over internet protocol（VoIP）
5. 5th generation mobile network（5G）