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Chunghwa Telecom plans big investment in WiMAX

Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), the nation's largest phone operator, plans to invest between NT$4 billion (US$122 million) and NT$5 billion over the next five years to offer Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) high-speed wireless services if it gains a license.

Chunghwa could launch WiMAX services by the end of next year if a permit is granted, the company's vice president Shih Mu-piao (石木標) said in an interview in Singapore yesterday.

WiMAX, a wireless digital communications system, allows much faster data transfer rates than those provided by most existing systems. Earlier this month, 13 companies including Chunghwa Telecom and Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信) submitted bids for six WiMAX licenses to be auctioned off next month.

Chunghwa Telecom is also in talks with Google Inc's YouTube to offer video-sharing services on wireless devices, Shih said.

Offering WiMAX connections could help Chunghwa bolster sales from high-speed services such as mobile gaming and video sharing.

"Wireless video-sharing services require faster networks that allow users to upload their own data," Shih said at the CommunicAsia telecommunications trade show.

Chunghwa Telecom may share advertising revenue with YouTube as part of the possible partnership, Shih said, adding that Chunghwa Telecom chairman Hochen Tan (賀陳旦) held discussions with YouTube executives last week.

Far EasTone is also involved in discussions with Google to offer the Mountain View, California-based company's search engine on mobile phones in Taiwan.

In a statement issued on June 12, Far EasTone said it planned to offer Internet search, Google Search and the Gmail e-mail service in cooperation with Google.

The statement said the two companies were also contemplating offering Google's mapping service to Far EasTone users.

To extend the partnership, Far EasTone is also in talks with YouTube to allow its subscribers to browse and upload videos on their handsets, it added.

Separately, Chunghwa Telecom yesterday said it would sponsor this year's Wikimedia conference, or Wikimania, to be held in Taipei from Aug. 3 to Aug. 5.

It would be the first Wikimania to be held in Asia after being held in Boston last year and Frankfurt in 2005.
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