The government is pushing the adoption of CDMA 2000 technology, but market watchers said this would do little to further the goal of boosting Hong Kong's mobile data services.
The Office of the Telecommunications Authority (Ofta) is considering issuing a fifth third-generation licence, proposing technical requirements that mean the winning bidder must implement CDMA 2000.
In its consultation paper on the matter, Ofta points to high rates of data take-up in South Korea and Japan, which have implemented the technology.
Industry analysts, however, say the success of data services such as mobile gaming, multimedia messaging and entertainment in these markets is based on other factors.
One was the close co-operation between handset manufacturers in South Korea and Japan and mobile-phone operators, said IDC analyst Davina Yeo.
Because handsets of varying screen sizes and technical specifications complicate how data is delivered, mobile operators in Japan and South Korea work closely with manufacturers to ensure phones are uniformly developed.