Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (
"For future investment, we'll spend a similar amount, or more than this year ... a similar [level] to other operators in Taiwan," said Far EasTone president Jan Nilsson in response to a reporter's question about planned outlays for third-generation (3G) mobile phone networks next year.
This year, the wireless carrier will spend NT$4 billion for the deployment, which is half of the NT$8 billion previously budgeted.
By year-end, Far EasTone will have 1,100 locations for 3G service, mostly in urban areas including the greater Taipei area and the Hsinchu Science-based Industrial Park, Nilsson said.
When asked about the timetable for the commercial launch of 3G service, Nilsson said "we'll launch when the market is ready for it."
As use of multimedia services is picking up, capacity issues may become more pressing in late third quarter next year, but Far EasTone will not wait until then to roll out the 3G service, Nilsson said.
Mobile users will be able to make video calls, download pictures online or access the Internet at faster speeds via 3G technology.
Nilsson's remarks came as Taiwan's three major mobile service carriers indicated a cautious outlook on 3G service rollouts in light of problems faced by early adopters, including Asia Pacific Broadband Wireless Communications Inc (
State-run Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) and the private Taiwan Cellular Corp (台灣大) have backtracked on their 3G launches, but stress that the construction of base stations will carry on.
"We pushed back the schedule to the first quarter of next year from the final quarter of 2004," Chunghwa Telecom spokesman Shih Mu-piao (石木標) told the Taipei Times in a phone interview.
Chunghwa Telecom plans to spend a total of NT$12 billion for the deployment of 3G networks in three phases, Shih said.
The company is now entering the second phase of development, which will be completed by July next year. During this period, the state-run company plans to spend NT$4.4 billion on new equipment after an initial outlay of NT$4 billion for the first phase, Shih said.
By the end of next year, Chunghwa Telecom aims to increase its number of base stations to 1,800 from the current 800, by spreading its network to both urban and remote areas, he said.
Taiwan Cellular has also postponed its launch to the first quarter, at the earliest, citing limited demand for 3G service, company spokesman Cheng Hui-ming (
The company plans to invest NT$3.5 billion in 3G deployment this year, with the figure to increase next year, Cheng said.
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