The nation’s telecom association, led by Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), yesterday inked memorandums of understanding with its Chinese counterpart to enhance cooperation in various areas, including building undersea cables across the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan Telecommunications Industry Development Association (台灣電信產業發展協會) said it had reached a major consensus with China’s telecom association, whose members include China Mobile Ltd (中國移動), to build a mechanism for telecom companies in Taiwan and China to exchange information and to collaborate.
The associations said they would support telecom companies providing voice roaming on 3G technology and to cooperate in providing more value-added services, the Taiwanese association said in a statement.
More companies are pursuing cross-strait cooperation opportunities since China launched its 3G services last year.
One of these is is Far EasTone Telecommunications Co Ltd (遠傳電信), the nation’s No. 3 telecom company, who is in talks with China Mobile to operate its application store in China by the end of this year.
The associations also agreed to aggressively push for the construction of undersea optical fibers as well as to help telecom operators jointly explore market opportunities and seek cooperation in future investments.
The cooperation could also extend to the supply chain for the telecom industry to explore more business opportunities around the globe.
Taiwan’s five major telecom operators are all members of the Taiwan Telecommunications Industry Development Association, established in 2004 and chaired by Chunghwa Telecom chairman Lu Shyue-ching (呂學錦).
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