international collaboration agreement
(Hong Kong and London, April 23, 2003) Hutchison Whampoa Limited and NTT DoCoMo, Inc. today announced an agreement to co-operate in the development and promotion of third-generation mobile multimedia and communications services on an international basis.
Hutchison Whampoa is bringing the world's first 3G services operating on dual mode (2G/3G) networks to consumers in 9 countries in Europe, the Middle East and Asia-Pacific under the 3 brand.
This agreement initially unites the research and marketing capabilities of two of Hutchison Whampoa's nine 3G operations, in Hong Kong and the UK, with those of NTT DoCoMo, Inc. world leader in W-CDMA and mobile multimedia, whose FOMA service in Japan was the world's first commercial 3G/W-CDMA service when it launched in October 2001.
Under the agreement, the two pioneers of 3G services will share information on handset development, radio network architecture and the development of global 3G standards. Additionally both companies will jointly examine potential areas of cooperation in the creation of multimedia applications, in international 3G roaming and in corporate sales and systems solutions.
Hutchison Whampoa Group Managing Director Canning Fok said: "NTT DoCoMo's technological prowess at the cutting-edge of mobile communications is unrivalled. This agreement represents a marriage between that expertise and the global commercial scale of Hutchison Whampoa's activities in the 3G arena. Cooperation of this kind offers significant advantages to both companies and - most importantly - to our respective customers."
About Hutchison Whampoa
Hutchison Whampoa Limited (HWL), one of the largest companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, is the holding company of the Hutchison Whampoa Group of companies. As one of the earliest big "hongs" or trading companies in Hong Kong, Hutchison's history dates back to the 1800s. Today, HWL is a multinational conglomerate with businesses spanning 41 countries. With over 150,000 employees worldwide, Hutchison operates and invests in five core businesses: ports and related services; telecommunications; property and hotels; retail and manufacturing; and energy and infrastructure.
Its flagship companies include Hutchison Port Holdings, Hutchison Telecom, Hutchison Whampoa Properties, A. S. Watson, and Cheung Kong Infrastructure. In 2002, HWL's consolidated revenue was HK$111,129 million (US$14,247 million).
3 is the global brand name for the Hutchison Whampoa's 3G services. The Group holds 3G licences in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Israel, Sweden and the United Kingdom.
For more information, please visit www.hutchison-whampoa.com
For media enquiries, please contact
Hutchison Whampoa Limited
Laura Cheung
Tel: (852) 2128 1289
Fax: (852) 2128 1766