Chunghwa Telecom said telecom carriers are still debating the perfect time to end unlimited mobile Internet service plans, adding that the number of 4G users is likely to surpass 17 million next year.
The nation’s largest telecom made the comments at a recent Taiwan Communications Society forum, which aims to address the challenges facing the telecom and broadcasting industries next year.
Representatives of the nation’s five largest carriers all attended the forum, including Chunghwa Telecom president Shih Mu-piao (石木標), Taiwan Mobile president James Cheng (鄭俊卿), Far EasTone Telecommunications president Yvonne Li (李彬), Asia Pacific Telecom chairman Lu Fang-ming (呂芳銘) and Taiwan Star Telecom president Cliff Lai (賴弦五).
Shih said the number of 4G users is expected to reach 11 million by the end of this year, making Taiwan one of few nations to experience exponential growth in 4G subscribers.
He cited an International Data Corp forecast that said the nation’s 4G users would reach 17 million next year.
Apart from the rapid expansion of different carriers’ 4G networks and increasing use of mobile apps, allowing users to pay a flat rate for unlimited data plans was also one of the major factors contributing to the phenomenal growth, Shih said.
Although all telecom carriers hope to soon adopt a fair-usage policy, they are still considering the appropriate time to end unlimited bandwidth plans, Shih said.
Shih forecast acceleration next year in the development of mobile payment systems, Internet of Things applications and over-the-top (OTT) content — audio, video and other media delivered via the Internet, distribution of which is not controlled by a single entity.
Shih said that Netflix, a Los Gatos, Calibornia-based Internet streaming media provider, is scheduled to enter the Taiwanese and other Asian markets in the first quarter of next year.
Cable TV service providers and channel operators expressed concern about the imminent arrival of Netflix.
The recently announced list of nominations for the 73rd Golden Globe Awards showed that Netflix has topped popular cable channel HBO for the first time, ELTA TV CEO Sally Chen (陳怡君) said. Netflix secured eight nominations, while HBO only received seven, down from 15 last year.
She said the nominations showed that streaming media can replace not only TV, but also the film distribution industry.
Satellite Television Broadcasting Association secretary-general May Chen (陳依玫) said the members of the group are channel operators that hold licenses issued by the National Communications Commission.
“We are not afraid of competition from OTT content providers,” she said. “We only fear that the nation’s policies are outdated and will create unfair competition.”
For example, all local cable news channels chose not to cover a crisis in Taitung last week, in which a wanted criminal took three National Taitung University students hostage, instead choosing to follow the association’s self-discipline stipulations, Chen said.
On the other hand, the Chinese-language Apple Daily was able to perform a simulcast via text-messaging app Line, because the hostage-taker chose to negotiate with an Apple Daily reporter he knows.
“People could watch the entire hostage crisis unfold online, just like watching TV,” she said. “What if the hostage-taker had begun to hurt the hostages? What if he threatened to start killing hostages if the simulcast was interrupted?”
“Other media can broadcast such events without punishment, but not cable news channels,” Chen added.
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