Hutchison 3G UK, holder of the UK's largest third-generation licence, today (Wednesday, November 14) announced it is to create more than 600 jobs in Glasgow. The company is to set up its Scottish headquarters, which will include a major customer care centre, at 123 St. Vincent Street in the city. The customer care centre will support customers throughout the UK who will be using the company's third-generation services, available from the second half of 2002.

The project was won for Scotland by the Inward Operations division of Scottish Development International (formerly Locate in Scotland), working in partnership with Scottish Enterprise Glasgow.

Welcoming the announcement, Wendy Alexander, Scottish Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning said: "I am delighted to welcome today's announcement that Hutchison 3G is to create 600 jobs in Glasgow over the next three years. Hutchison 3G's decision to site its Scottish Headquarters in Glasgow represents a major investment by a leading international company. This centre will support customers throughout the UK using Hutchison 3G's third-generation devices.

"I know that the company's decision to locate in Scotland was based on the availability of skilled labour and first class communications infrastructure and I congratulate everyone involved in bringing this project to Scotland."

Colin Tucker, Managing Director of Hutchison 3G said, "We are very pleased to be making this investment in Scotland. Glasgow is a world-class city with a top-notch workforce and Hutchison 3G is looking forward to developing a world-class customer care centre in the prestigious office at 123 St. Vincent Street. The customer care team will support the services that will be available through our third-generation handsets next year. As Hutchison 3G develops, our presence in Glasgow will grow."

Ron Culley, Chief Executive of Scottish Enterprise Glasgow, said: "Obviously we are delighted to welcome Hutchison 3G to Glasgow. Let's not underestimate the quality of these jobs. They are high quality, highly desirable, genuinely sustainable jobs at the front edge of our newest technologies. This is brilliant news for Glasgow."

Hutchison 3G will begin recruiting these roles in early 2002. People wishing to register an interest in these new jobs should call this freephone number, 0800 587 0869.

Notes to Editors

1. Hutchison 3G UK Ltd. ("Hutchison 3G") holds licence 'A' (a third-generation mobile licence), which was issued by the UK government in May 2000. This licence was for the largest block of spectrum auctioned in the UK, as it was set-aside for a new entrant to the market. The licence consists of 15mhz of paired spectrum, and 5mhz of unpaired spectrum.

3G is a convergence of mobile telephony and information systems which will enable people to access information when, where and how they want. The 3G standard (agreed throughout Europe, Japan, China, and the rest of Asia) is formally known as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). It represents a global standard for third generation mobile communication systems and is at the heart of the Hutchison 3G initiative.

Hutchison Whampoa Limited holds a 65 per cent stake in Hutchison 3G, the other major shareholders are NTT DoCoMo (20 per cent) KPN Mobile (15 per cent).

2. Hutchison 3G UK Ltd has signed a twenty-year lease on 123 St Vincent Street, Glasgow taking 72,000 sq ft (6,691 sq m) of office space over five floors.

3. In the year ended March 2001, 102 inward investment projects involving planned investment of 1,763 million and the expected creation of, or safeguarding of more than 14,000 jobs were attracted to Scotland by Locate in Scotland and the Scottish Executive.

4. Scottish Enterprise is the main economic development agency for Scotland covering 93% of the population from Grampian to the Borders. The Scottish Enterprise Network consists of Scottish Enterprise and 12 Local Enterprise Companies. Working in partnership with the private and public sectors the Network aims to build more and better businesses, to develop the skills and knowledge of Scottish people, and to encourage innovation to make Scottish business internationally competitive.

5. On October 4, 2001, Wendy Alexander, Minister for Enterprise and Lifelong Learning unveiled "Scotland: A Global Connections Strategy" as part of the Scottish Executive's guiding principles for the Enterprise Networks, "A Smart Successful Scotland." It set out a radical new approach to establish Scotland as a world class business partner in the globally connected economy of the 21st Century, including the creation of a new body, Scottish Development International (SDI), formed by the merging of Locate in Scotland and Scottish Trade International.

For further information on Hutchison 3G please contact:
Edward Brewster
Mobile 07775 783 307
or visit www.hutchison3g.com

For further information on Scottish Enterprise and SDI please contact:
David Cannon
Tel 0141 228 2702
Mobile 07887 830128
Or visit www.scottishdevelopmentinternational.com