Less than six months after the launch of 5G services, the number of users in Taiwan has surpassed 1 million, statistics released by the nation’s telecoms showed.
Taiwan in June issued its first 5G license to Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信), and the company started its services in July.
Four other telecoms — Far EasTone Telecommunications Co (遠傳電信), Taiwan Mobile Co (台灣大哥大), Taiwan Star Telecom Corp (台灣之星) and Asia Pacific Telecom Co (亞太電信) — soon followed suit to start 5G services in the summer.
Photo: Ann Wang, Reuters
Chunghwa Telecom said that its number of 5G subscribers has topped 300,000 and would likely rise to 500,000 by the end of this year.
Subscriptions to 5G services have exceeded the firm’s expectations, as it has previously aimed to sign up 300,000 users by the end of the year, the company said.
Chunghwa Telecom would invest more than NT$10 billion (US$351.62 million) next year to improve its mobile communication infrastructure, Chunghwa Telecom chairman Sheih Chi-mau (謝繼茂) said.
So far, Chunghwa Telecom has built more than 4,000 5G base stations, Sheih said.
Far EasTone has signed up about 300,000 5G subscribers since the launch of its services in July, topping the company’s expectations, the company said.
Far EasTone president Chee Ching (井琪) said that the company is determined to strengthen its 5G infrastructure to gain a greater market share.
Taiwan Mobile has also signed up about 300,000 5G users, exceeding its expectations of the number of people who quickly adopted the new technology, the company said.
Taiwan Mobile expects that 5G users would account for 15 to 20 percent of its total subscribers by the end of next year, Taiwan Mobile president Jamie Lin (林之晨) said.
Taiwan Star Telecom and Asia Pacific Telecom each signed up more than 100,000 5G subscribers, statistics released by the respective companies showed.
Real estate agent and property developer JSL Construction & Development Co (愛山林) led the average compensation rankings among companies listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TWSE) last year, while contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) finished 14th. JSL Construction paid its employees total average compensation of NT$4.78 million (US$159,701), down 13.5 percent from a year earlier, but still ahead of the most profitable listed tech giants, including TSMC, TWSE data showed. Last year, the average compensation (which includes salary, overtime, bonuses and allowances) paid by TSMC rose 21.6 percent to reach about NT$3.33 million, lifting its ranking by 10 notches
Popular vape brands such as Geek Bar might get more expensive in the US — if you can find them at all. Shipments of vapes from China to the US ground to a near halt last month from a year ago, official data showed, hit by US President Donald Trump’s tariffs and a crackdown on unauthorized e-cigarettes in the world’s biggest market for smoking alternatives. That includes Geek Bar, a brand of flavored vapes that is not authorized to sell in the US, but which had been widely available due to porous import controls. One retailer, who asked not to be named, because
SEASONAL WEAKNESS: The combined revenue of the top 10 foundries fell 5.4%, but rush orders and China’s subsidies partially offset slowing demand Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) further solidified its dominance in the global wafer foundry business in the first quarter of this year, remaining far ahead of its closest rival, Samsung Electronics Co, TrendForce Corp (集邦科技) said yesterday. TSMC posted US$25.52 billion in sales in the January-to-March period, down 5 percent from the previous quarter, but its market share rose from 67.1 percent the previous quarter to 67.6 percent, TrendForce said in a report. While smartphone-related wafer shipments declined in the first quarter due to seasonal factors, solid demand for artificial intelligence (AI) and high-performance computing (HPC) devices and urgent TV-related orders
MINERAL DIPLOMACY: The Chinese commerce ministry said it approved applications for the export of rare earths in a move that could help ease US-China trade tensions Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰) is today to meet a US delegation for talks in the UK, Beijing announced on Saturday amid a fragile truce in the trade dispute between the two powers. He is to visit the UK from yesterday to Friday at the invitation of the British government, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement. He and US representatives are to cochair the first meeting of the US-China economic and trade consultation mechanism, it said. US President Donald Trump on Friday announced that a new round of trade talks with China would start in London beginning today,