The agreement focuses on software applications, products and policy, and information and communications infrastructure and related policy.

Hong Kong's Permanent Secretary for Commerce, Industry & Technology (Communications & Technology) Francis Ho and Canada's Department of Industry Communications Research Centre President, Veena Rawat signed the renewed memorandum at the ITU Telecom World 2006 Hong Kong pavilion this week.

Canada, Hong Kong's first information and communications technology MOU partner, signed the original memorandum in 1998. Both places have extended it twice since then.

Under the renewed MoU, the two places will seek co-operation in the areas of:

• Software applications, products and policy, including multimedia and digital entertainment; Internet, e-Government, information technology security and e-Health; and,
• Information and communications infrastructure and related policy, including electronic commerce, current and future issues in telecoms policy, broadband networks and applications, and wireless technologies and services.