An overview of the center for wireless information technology at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Over the last decade, there has been a revolution in wireless information technology in which the ultimate goal has been to offer ubiquitous information access anywhere, anytime. In Northern European countries such as Finland, for instance, wireless communication subscribers already outnumber those with fixed telephone lines and this is also predicted to occur in Hong Kong over the next few months, demonstrating the enormous impact that the wireless revolution has already had. Hong Kong's position as a financial and commercial center of South-East Asia now depends critically on an effective state-of-the-art wireless communication infrastructure. So far, Hong Kong's role in this revolution has been to act as the technology receiver and test bed for various wireless applications. For example, the world's first commercial installation of the CDMA cellular mobile system occurred in Hong Kong in September 1995, though the system has been developed in the United States. If Hong Kong can develop its own technology and migrate from a technology receiver to a technology leader, a local high-technology industry may begin to develop. One of the critical weaknesses that prevented Hong Kong from becoming an industry leader in wireless communications is its lack of research, development and innovation effort. The transformation and advancement of Hong Kong cannot be assured without comprehensive and coordinated efforts that involve not only the Government and the telecommunication industry, but also major universities engaged in research and development, technology transfer, and the training of highly qualified engineers. To help begin this transformation the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology has set up the Center for Wireless Information Technology or CenWIT in August 1997 strengthening wireless research activities here that were begun in 1992.