Hong Kong pulled the plug on analogue broadcasts at midnight last night (30 Nov), ushering in an era of full digital TV broadcasts this morning. 

Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Edward Yau, said the switch “helps support Hong Kong’s overall telecommunications services and smart city development”. 

He listed uses such as 5G, and enhancing network capacity at indoor mobile hotspots such as underground train stations.  

According to survey findings in October this year, only 2.2% (about 58,000) of households were still using analogue TV. Among those, less than 10% indicated that they had not switched to digital TV owing to financial reasons.

A government-backed initiative to support migration to digital will run until 15 July 2021.