Far EasTone turns to motorists

Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信), the nation's third-biggest telecom operator, said yesterday it would offer drivers new services on a wireless handheld device integrating various functions, including a global positioning system (GPS) and mobile TV within two months.

"This is also a statement that Far EasTone is actively providing services extending from personal or enterprise to home and now is promoting the services further to the transportation space," president Jan Nilsson told a press briefing.

Far EasTone has selected subscribers for a two-month trial and will launch the service once the trial is completed, Nilsson said.

The devices allow drivers to browse e-mail, obtain traffic information, watch TV, place calls and other functions. For the moment, the service will operate on 2.5G technology and, in the near future, will switch over to the high-speed Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access platform.

"Taiwan has 6 million cars and our target is to get 50 percent of that," he said.

The telecom carrier is working with GPS manufacturer Dmedia System Co (米迪亞) to launch the service.

Taipei-based Dmedia designs multi-function devices for Far EasTone, Dmedia chairman Samuel Chen (陳賢哲) said yesterday, adding that Far EasTone will buy 50,000 of the devices in the year following the launch.

Chen said that Cheng Uei Precision Industry Co (正崴精密) would assemble the device. Cheng Uei is owned by Gou Tai-chiang (郭台強), a junior brother of Terry Gou (郭台銘), chairman of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), the nation's biggest electronics component supplier.

Nilsson said the company is in talks with another big GPS manufacturer and that more services would become available after the launch.