Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), the nation's largest telephone company, plans to offer TV content from Hong Kong's PCCW Ltd (電訊盈科) on its Internet TV network next year to attract subscribers.
Chunghwa Telecom will start selling the content "as soon as possible," company chairman Hochen Tan (
Chunghwa Telecom signed a memorandum of understanding with PCCW in October to deliver the latter's Internet TV programs, Chang Yi-fong (
"We are still in talks with PCCW to air its content, but have not yet finalized the schedule," he said. "No equity discussion is involved in the talks as Taiwanese telecom companies are restricted from investing in Chinese telecom firms."
Chunghwa Telecom is seeking to add content to lure users to its Internet TV service and accelerate sales of broadband connection. PCCW's Now Broadband unit vies with Hong Kong rival I-Cable Communications Ltd as the city's biggest pay-TV operator.
Talks with PCCW, Hong Kong's largest phone company, have been focused on TV content, Hochen said.
Chunghwa Telecom is also in talks with other content providers, he said, without elaborating.
The firm said last week it had obtained the right to deliver Beijing Olympic Games on its Internet TV, mobile phones and broadband.
The company has set a target of attracting 1 million subscribers to its MOD pay TV next year, up from 350,000 users as of September.
Forecast capital spending next year is unchanged at US$30 billion (US$928 million), Hochen said.
The company also plans to invest about US$4 billion in five to seven years from last year to upgrade its network, Hochen said.
Additional reporting by Lisa Wang
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