ASIA : As a commitment to nurturing future leaders for the advancement of new generation communication technology and services, the Hutchison 3G Group (H3G) is pleased to be the lead sponsor of the Youth Forum of ITU Telecom World 2003.

Inset is Ms. Agnes Nardi, Managing Director of Hutchison Telecommunications who is quoted below.

Marketed globally under the 3 brand, H3G has contributed CHF 500,000 (approx. HK$3 million) to sponsor the Forum, the first ever to be held at a world event which starts today in Geneva and lasts until October 18.

Speaking at the Forum's opening session yesterday, Ms. Agnes Nardi, Managing Director of Hutchison Telecommunications (Hong Kong) and Hutchison 3G Hong Kong, addressed the importance of the young generation to the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) sector.

"The young generation represents a critically important pool of human capital to the ICT sector as they are usually early adopters and the most dynamic heavy users of many mobile communications and Internet applications. It is essential that we garner the energy, creativity and trend-setting vision of this important user group.

"The advent of 3G is among the most important development in the ICT sector. The technology is revolutionizing the way we live, opening doors to many amazing possibilities that benefit consumers, the business community, and the economy as a whole, as well as enable enhancements in education, government, health and other sectors. As the pioneer in the 3G business, 3 is committed to educating the public, particularly the young people, on the immense potential of this technology, as we believe that they are the ones who will shape the future of the industry," said Ms. Nardi.

The Youth Forum is being held for the first time as part of the world events at the ITU Telecom World. Over 300 university students from 189 ITU Member States will participate as Youth Fellows. During their week-long activities, they will learn more about the ICT sector by participating in Forum sessions, visiting the Exhibition, meeting ICT industry leaders and attending four special interactive sessions focusing on ICTs as a tool for social and economic development.

The three main sessions of the Youth Forum deal with ICTs as an enabler of economic and social development, with policy and regulatory aspects of ICTs and with strategies for investment and financing. In addition, Youth Fellows will also have the chance to participate in a workshop on designing a business plan. Youth Fellows will draft a declaration of their vision of the information society for consideration at the first phase of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) to be held in Geneva on 10-12 December 2003.

Apart from the Youth Forum, H3G is participating at the main Forum of ITU Telecom World, where Vincenzo Novari, CEO of 3 Italy, will deliver a keynote speech on "3G: The New Frontier. Explore the new world of Information, Communication and Entertainment" during the "Towards a Next Generation of Mobile Services" session at 14:30-16:00 on Wednesday, October 15.

A division of Hutchison Whampoa, H3G is the leading global player in the 3G arena, holding licences in ten markets with total population coverage of approximately 175 million. In less than three years, H3G has built an entirely new network, achieving probably the fastest rollout of a radio network in the entire telecom industry. Marketed globally under the 3 brand, H3G is the first operator in the world to provide dual-mode 3G services.

To date, the 3, services has been rolled out in Italy, the UK, Australia, Austria and Sweden, and announced more than 520,000 subscribers in August this year. 3 services will commence very soon in Denmark and other markets will follow in the near future.