Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信), the nation’s No. 3 telecom, plans to roll out a new 4G rate plan of NT$298 per month for light users as competition in the local 4G business intensifies.
The company, which charges users NT$799 per month for 2 gigabytes (GB) of Internet usage, did not disclose details of the new plan yesterday.
Far EasTone’s move comes after rival Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) this week announced new 4G rates of NT$288 per month for customers with 1.5GB of Internet usage.
Chunghwa’s new offering surprised the market, as most local telecoms companies charge users between NT$599 and NT$799 per month for 2GB of Internet usage on the 4G network.
However, the new plan offers no free Internet access to the company’s Wi-Fi hotspots, it said.
On Tuesday, Chunghwa scrapped the company’s 4G flat rate of NT$988 per month and replaced it with a new flat rate of NT$987 for students only.
Both Far EasTone and Taiwan Mobile Co (台灣大) yesterday said they would extend their 4G flat rate of NT$998 for one more month from an original expiration date of Tuesday.
In addition, Taiwan Mobile said it plans to offer a 10 percent discount for those signing up on its 4G program bundled with a Samsung Electronics Co smartphone.
Asia Pacific Telecom Co (亞太電信) yesterday said its shareholders, as well as those of its parent company, Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), would enjoy free 4G services for the first six months, if they sign up for rate plans ranging from NT$498 to NT$1,398.
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