Beginning today, consumers in Taiwan will be able to enjoy the benefits of "Caller ID" services, which will allow receivers to know and record callers' phone numbers.
The Directorate General of Telecommunications (
Currently, state-run Chunghwa Telecom Co Ltd (
Private operators are expected to be awarded operating licenses in February.
To use the new service, receivers will be able to connect a Caller ID device to their phone or purchase a special phone equipped with the device.
The new service will allow receivers to know the phone number of incoming calls and then to decide whether or not to answer the call.
Callers, however, may choose not to disclose their phone numbers on Caller ID devices. Receiv-ers, on the other hand, will be able to demand a service allowing them not to answer these calls.
The decision to start the Caller ID service today will also give Chunghwa Telecom the opportunity to attract customers before private fixed network operators enter the market later this year, an official at Chunghwa Telecom said.
According to Chunghwa Telecom, 12 million people have subscribed to fixed network services. An official at Senao International Co Ltd (
Currently, a Caller ID device connected to a phone set costs NT$600 to NT$700, while one installed in a phone costs roughly NT$1,500.
Richard Wu (吳思鐘), chairman of KingTel Co (西陵電子), a phone manufacturer, said the company anticipated demand for Caller ID devices would reach 4 million units this year.
Wu also predicted KingTel would hold a 50 percent share of this market.
According to Wu, sales of Caller ID devices could reach 20 million units within two years.
"We have started selling our products in the market, and reaction to them is very positive. We expect our output of Caller IDs to reach 100,000 this month," Wu said.
The company has developed three kinds of caller ID devices, priced between NT$900 and NT$3,000 per unit.
Meanwhile, potential for further development of the service will provide more opportunities. Many foreign countries have already been operating the service for more than five years, Wu said. More sophisticated functions, such as a display of a caller's name on the Caller ID screen, are becoming available, he said.
"Although we haven't reached that stage, we are heading in that direction," Wu said.
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