The government yesterday urged telecom operators to design different data plans for subscribers to fourth-generation (4G) networks to ensure the popularity of the super-fast mobile broadband service.
Minister Without Portfolio Simon Chang (張善政), a former executive at Google Inc, said he hopes Taiwan’s current 2G users will shift to 3G or 4G networks as soon as possible to improve the efficiency of mobile bandwidth.
Some low-cost data plans designed for lighter 3G mobile traffic are particularly suited to current 2G network users looking to switch to 3G because they might need only a small amount of data traffic, Chang said at a forum on mobile broadband.
For those categorized as heavy 3G users, he said, operators should design different data plans based on user scenario analysis, such as peak traffic times or data consumption.
“I’m not calling for the cancellation of ‘all-you-can-eat’ data plans,” Chang said. “Users can choose the data plans that are most suitable for them to create a win-win situation for consumers and carriers.”
The National Communications Commission is accepting applications from carriers until July 1 to participate in the 4G license auction.
Major telecom operators, including Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), Taiwan Mobile Corp (台灣大哥大) and Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信) have already expressed interest in bidding for 4G licenses.
The commission said it expects between three and eight operators to participate in the auction.
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