Mobile network operator, 3 Hong Kong has announced that it will start to throttle the download speeds of its heaviest mobile broadband users.

The company is retaining its "unlimited data" tariffs, but following guidance from the regulator about how to define "fair usage", the company will set a standard usage cap of 5GB of data transfer.

Once usage exceeds the fair usage data threshold, a customer can continue to access mobile data service at no extra charge but will be given lower priority to access the network during the remainder of a billing cycle.

In addition, customers may access data services via unlimited Wi-Fi that comes with data plans.

Ms Amy Lung, Chief Operating Officer (Mobile) of HTHKH, said: "The new arrangements were made after giving full consideration to customer usage pattern and amount of data usage. We believe that the vast majority of customers will not be affected since 97% of our mobile data users consume on average 5GB, or less, every month. By adding fair usage thresholds, we hope customers can enjoy peace of mind while making fair and thoughtful use of valuable network resources."