Yau made the remarks at the opening of the 6G Global Summit at Hopewell Hotel in Wan Chai – the first time it is held in Hong Kong and in the Asia-Pacific region.
Addressing more than 600 participants from all over the world, including regulators, telecom operators, experts and scholars, he highlighted the city’s robust telecommunications infrastructure, saying it provides a strong foundation for 6G development.
“Hong Kong has already achieved territory-wide 5G coverage with about eight million users, representing over 105 percent of the population last year,” Yau said.
“Our 5G availability ranks first in the Asia-Pacific region.
“With our extensive network infrastructure, our fibre-to-the-home or building penetration rate is around 90 percent, placing us in the top five globally according to a report issued by FTTH Council Europe in March 2025.”
Hong Kong is also the first city in the world to auction radio spectrum in the 6 and 7 GHz band, Yau noted, which is crucial in paving the way for the deployment of 6G mobile communication services.
Delivering a speech via a video link, Masanori Kondo from Asia-Pacific Telecommunity – an intergovernmental organisation – said the summit comes at a critical time and stressed the need for more regional cooperation.
“This is about more than technology,” Kondo said.
“It is about transforming how we live, work and connect.
“The Asia-Pacific region is leading this shift.
“Countries such as China, Japan and the Republic of Korea are not only expanding 5G but also actively shaping 6G research and development.
“Thanks to both investment and forward-looking policies, our region is setting the pace for global innovation.”
The annual tech summit brings together top-level industry and policy representatives to explore challenges and opportunities in 6G technology development and adoption.
