Telecom industry analysts poured cold water on wireless operator claims that they will begin offering third-generation (3G) connections next year, saying that the service won't have much of an edge.
"Even if they can open their doors for business in early 2003, service will be voice, not data transmission," said Tony Wu (吳顯東), a chief researcher at the Market Intelligence Center (市場情報中心) under the government-funded Institute for Information Industry (資策會).
Analysts said few consumers will be interested in paying for broadband voice services since the transmission of data is where demand is expected to be.
"Using 3G service to `talk' doesn't sound exciting at all," said Alex Wu (吳興國), an analyst at KGI Securities Corp (中信證券).
3G sparked public interest in the past with its promise of high-speed data connections that would allow users to link to Web sites, download graphics and watch movies over their cellphones.
Operators face an additional hurdle in that content to attract customers is unavailable, Wu said.
"With the market [demand and applications] not ready, launching service early next year is too soon to make a profit," Wu said.
Taiwan issued five 3G licenses earlier this month, with licensing fees totaling NT$48.9 billion.
Three of the five license winners -- Taiwan Cellular Corp (台灣大哥大), Far EasTone Telecommunication Co's (遠傳電信) subsidiary Yuan-Ze Telecom Co (遠致電信) and state-run Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) -- are incumbent wireless operators, while Asia Pacific Broadband Wireless Communication Inc (亞太行動寬頻) and Taiwan PCS Network Inc (聯邦電信) are new to the mobile-phone sector.
Despite the naysayers, the new entrants are upbeat on pushing 3G service into the market.
"We will begin offering 3G service in northern Taiwan by June next year and expect to attract 200,000 subscribers by year end," said Rock Hsu (
Hsu said the company has plans to roll out "content" services gradually and might focus first on voice services.
Asia Pacific Broadband says it will be the first to make a move.
"We will be the nation's first company offering 3G services," said the company's vice chairman Wang Lin-tai (
The venture is scheduled to begin operations in the first quarter of next year, he said.
Industry veterans are more conservative about the market.
"We will roll out the network to meet proven market demand," said Taiwan Cellular's vice president William Newton.
Adding that although 3G network and handset manufacturers expect equipment and handsets to be available in the fourth quarter of this year, Newton said Taiwan Cellular's 3G start up is contingent upon equipment performance.
Based on government regulations, all license owners have to pay at least 30 percent of their licensing fees by March 11.
Both Taiwan PCS Network and Yuan-Ze Telecom announced plans to increase capital on Tuesday.
"We expect to raise our capital from current NT$3.3 billion to about NT$15 billion by June this year," Taiwan PCS's Hsu said.
It was late morning and steam was rising from water tanks atop the colorful, but opaque-windowed, “soapland” sex parlors in a historic Tokyo red-light district. Walking through the narrow streets, camera in hand, was Beniko — a former sex worker who is trying to capture the spirit of the area once known as Yoshiwara through photography. “People often talk about this neighborhood having a ‘bad history,’” said Beniko, who goes by her nickname. “But the truth is that through the years people have lived here, made a life here, sometimes struggled to survive. I want to share that reality.” In its mid-17th to
‘MAKE OR BREAK’: Nvidia shares remain down more than 9 percent, but investors are hoping CEO Jensen Huang’s speech can stave off fears that the sales boom is peaking Shares in Nvidia Corp’s Taiwanese suppliers mostly closed higher yesterday on hopes that the US artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer would showcase next-generation technologies at its annual AI conference slated to open later in the day. The GPU Technology Conference (GTC) in California is to feature developers, engineers, researchers, inventors and information technology professionals, and would focus on AI, computer graphics, data science, machine learning and autonomous machines. The event comes at a make-or-break moment for the firm, as it heads into the next few quarters, with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s (黃仁勳) keynote speech today seen as having the ability to
NEXT GENERATION: The company also showcased automated machines, including a nursing robot called Nurabot, which is to enter service at a Taichung hospital this year Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密) expects server revenue to exceed its iPhone revenue within two years, with the possibility of achieving this goal as early as this year, chairman Young Liu (劉揚偉) said on Tuesday at Nvidia Corp’s annual technology conference in San Jose, California. AI would be the primary focus this year for the company, also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), as rapidly advancing AI applications are driving up demand for AI servers, Liu said. The production and shipment of Nvidia’s GB200 chips and the anticipated launch of GB300 chips in the second half of the year would propel
State-run CPC Corp, Taiwan (CPC, 台灣中油) yesterday signed a letter of intent with Alaska Gasline Development Corp (AGDC), expressing an interest to buy liquefied natural gas (LNG) and invest in the latter’s Alaska LNG project, the Ministry of Economic Affairs said in a statement. Under the agreement, CPC is to participate in the project’s upstream gas investment to secure stable energy resources for Taiwan, the ministry said. The Alaska LNG project is jointly promoted by AGDC and major developer Glenfarne Group LLC, as Alaska plans to export up to 20 million tonnes of LNG annually from 2031. It involves constructing an 1,290km
RSS