Chunghwa to lower broadband rates

Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) is set to lower broadband service rates by up to 26.5 percent after getting a nod from the Directorate General of Telecommunications (DGT) yesterday.

The move came in reaction to the public's calls for lower charges. The cross-the-board rate cuts for asymmetric digital subscriber line (ADSL) services will take effect on June 1, the state-run company said in a statement.

Subscribers using the 2M/128K ADSL services, which make up a big portion of Chunghwa's ADSL's customer base, will enjoy the biggest price reduction. The new rate for the service will be NT$880 per month, down 26.5 percent from NT$1,198, the statement said.

With 2.6-million ADSL sign-ups, Chunghwa currently holds about 80 percent of the nation's 3.3-million-strong broadband market, according to the DGT's tally.

Seednet (數位聯合電信), the largest private broadband service provider, already cut its ADSL rates beginning May 1. It cut the cost of 2M/128K ADSL services by 20 percent. Subscribers will spend NT$440 a month to get the service without including the network-connecting fee.

Chunghwa said last week it would cut short-message service (SMS) rates by up to 25 percent beginning next month. Subscribers will pay NT$1.5 to send a message to another Chunghwa user. Messages to subscribers of other operators will cost NT$2.