The nation’s largest telecoms carrier could launch a 100M/100M Very High Bit-rate DSL service at the end of this month after the National Communications Commission (NCC) approved its plan yesterday.
Using a 100M/100M service means that Internet users can enjoy both upload and download transmission speeds of 100 megabits per second. Providing an example of service speed, the commission said it would take only 80 seconds to download a 1 gigabyte movie.
Based on the plan submitted by Chunghwa Telecom, the high-speed Internet service connection would cost NT$1,699 per month.
Acting NCC spokesperson Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said that although the commission had approved the plan, it required the telecoms carrier to submit a more reasonable rate plan within six months of the launch of the service.
“The commissioners thought that the rate still has room for adjustment,” he said.
Asked why the commissioners approved the rate when they were still apparently mulling the one Chunghwa submitted, Wong said that the commissioners thought it was important to have the service available now and to work on the rate later.
According to the commission, Chunghwa’s charges for 100M/100M service are higher than in Japan and South Korea.
When both countries’ GDP is taken into account, Japanese firms charge the equivalent of NT$1,203 per month for 100M/100M services, while Korea Telecom charges the equivalent of NT$1,060 per month. Another South Korean telecoms carrier charges NT$832 per month.
“They [Japan and South Korea] are able to lower their costs because they have bigger economies of scale,” said Cheng Ming-tsung (鄭明宗), chief of the commission’s satellite communication section.
Cheng said that many old buildings in Taiwan still use copper cables which have to be taken out before fiber-optic lines can be installed, and these costs have to be considered before comparing rates.
Apart from the 100M/100M service, the NCC also approved rates being charged for 50M/20M and 100M/40M services, which cost NT$1,099 and NT$1,499 per month, respectively.
Wong said that the 100M/ 100M service would be considered a landmark, as the Executive Yuan has set the goal of having the 100M fiber-to-the-home service coverage rate reach 100 percent by next year.
To facilitate the provision of a high-speed service to every household, Wong said that the commission is considering amending the Regulations Governing Building Telecommunication Equipment and Space Appliance Usage (建築物電信設備及空間設置使用管理規則) to require construction firms to install fiber-optic lines when they construct new buildings.
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