Chunghwa Telecom Co (
The company's stock advanced 5.08 percent to NT$68.2 after Chunghwa Telecom resumed trading its shares on the main bourse, compared with a 1.53-percent rise in the benchmark TAIEX. The company suspended share trading on Dec. 29 to cope with a 9 percent capital reduction plan.
Chunghwa Telecom hopes to increase its number of 3G subscribers to 3.5 million from 2.3 million at the end of last year, with the nation's 3G market expected to take off this year after mobile phone vendors launched more affordable 3G handsets, company spokesman Shih Mu-piao (
The number of 3G users in Taiwan may grow by 54 percent to around 10 million this year from 6.5 million last year, Shih said.
"We are offering several packages to encourage phone users to switch their 2G service to 3G with similar voice fees coupled with higher data transmission rates," Shih said. "The expansion in the number of 3G users will help boost Chunghwa Telecom's revenues this year, as 3G users have a higher average revenue per user."
Chunghwa Telecom said its 3G average revenue per user stood at NT$1,100, 57 percent higher than the NT$700 for 2G subscribers.
Chunghwa Telecom said revenue rose 1.7 percent to NT$170.76 billion in the first 11 months of last year.
The company has a total of 8.7 million subscribers, taking up 37 percent of the local mobile market.
Starting next month, Chunghwa Telecom will be offering three free handsets from Samsung, Nokia and an unspecified brand with a new number and a 24-month contract at a minimum monthly charge of NT$383.
That would make Chunghwa Telecom the first major telecom player in Taiwan offering free 3G handsets.
Smaller rival Vibo Telecom Inc (
"We believe our rivals will follow suit," Shih said.
The phone company planned to increase handset purchases by 23 percent to 2.8 million units this year, from 2.2 million units last year, with 3G phones to account for 60 percent of this year's purchases, Shih said.
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