Second-generation (2G) telecommunication service subscribers will not be able to access mobile phone services after the 2G operational license expires tomorrow, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.
The 2G service was launched nationally in 1996. As of Friday last week, the number of 2G subscribers had declined to about 110,000, as the majority of mobile phone users have migrated to 3G or 4G telecom services.
NCC Business Management Department Director Chen Kuo-long (陳國龍) said that the commission and telecoms have created a 0800-toll free number and that a team will be available from tomorrow to Sunday to respond to any issues after the 2G service is terminated.
Users of 2G who have not migrated to 3G or 4G services will not be able to continue two-way communication with their 2G mobile phones after tomorrow, Chen said, adding that the commission expects complaints from 2G service subscribers are most likely to begin from midnight to 3am tomorrow and from 6am to 9am on Saturday.
Callers asking questions related to the migration to 3G or 4G services are to be given definite answers, Chen said, adding that 2G users must still go to retail stores to complete application procedures for new services.
NCC spokesperson Weng Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said 2G users can keep their 2G telephone numbers until the end of December, but they will lose their numbers if they do not switch to 3G or 4G services before the six-month grace period expires.
The telecoms said that they had spared no effort in promoting the switch to higher services among their 2G users, as the nation still had about 710,000 2G users in May last year.
A majority of 2G users are with Chunghwa Telecom, the nation’s largest telecom.
The company said that it would have about 50,000 2G subscribers by the end of this month.
To motivate 2G subscribers to upgrade their service, Chunghwa said that it has sent 33.32 million text messages and 5.72 million registered letters to 2G users, adding that it has also made 2.34 million phone calls, hosted 1,535 information sessions, visited 375 villages in remote areas and handed out 150,000 bags of tissue paper as part of an information campaign.
Among the 110,000 2G users, about 80,000 are individual subscribers and 30,000 are corporate.
Government agencies such as Taiwan Power Co, Taiwan Power Corp and CPC Corp, Taiwan, have upgraded their 2G subscriptions, but some city bus services have yet to make the switch.
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