Those opting for the service will have their phones tracked, and will be told by SMS (short message service) which buildings within a kilometer of their location have had SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) cases occur, as declared by the Hong Kong Department of Health.
"With the dial of a few digits, subscribers can quickly get the peace of mind they need to go about their everyday lives." said Bruce Hicks, group managing director of Sunday Communications, the telco offering the service.
Users dial a number to access information posted by the Department of Health. They can then choose to subscribe to the SARS location alerts, and also get locations of places SARS patients are suspected to have visited.
There is no charge for each SMS request, but normal airtime charges still apply, according to a statement from Sunday.
Sunday will also donate mobile services to SARS patients. The company is one of six mobile operators fighting for a slice of the cellular pie in a competitive market with one the highest mobile penetration rates in the world.
Hong Kong residents have been jittery about the infection since the SARS outbreak a month ago. The disease has caused 56 deaths in the former British colony and over 1,200 infections have been reported. Around Asia, cases have been reported in almost every country, with over 100 deaths so far.
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