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.
‘SHORT-TERM ECONOMIC PAIN’: A military takeover would only temporarily weigh on wafer production on both sides of the Taiwan Strait, IC Insights said Taiwan has more chip manufacturing capacity than any other economy in the world, US-based market information advisory firm IC Insights said in a research paper last week, cautioning that the nation’s strength could prompt China to attempt to take over Taiwan. Taiwan commanded 21.4 percent of global installed IC capacity, ahead of South Korea’s 20.4 percent, Japan’s 15.8 percent and China’s 15.3 percent, North America’s 12.6 percent and Europe’s 5.7 percent, IC Insights said. Taiwan is one of two countries that uses 10-nanometer technology or better to produce wafers, holding 62.8 percent of global capacity, with South Korea holding the remaining 37.2
SELF-SUFFICIENCY: Alibaba is one of a number of Chinese firms that has answered Beijing’s call to invest in the development of cutting-edge technologies Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (阿里巴巴) yesterday unveiled a new server chip that is based on advanced 5-nanometer technology, marking a milestone in China’s pursuit of semiconductor self-sufficiency. The Chinese tech giant’s newest chip is based on micro-architecture provided by the SoftBank Group Corp-owned Arm Ltd, it said. Alibaba, which is holding its annual cloud summit in Hangzhou, China, said that the chip is to be used in its own data centers in the “near future” and would not, for the time being, be sold commercially. “Customizing our own server chips is consistent with our ongoing efforts toward boosting our computing capabilities with better
AGGRESSIVE STEP: With the new processors, Apple is aiming at the high-end chips Intel has provided for the MacBook Pro and other top-end Macs for about 15 years Apple Inc on Monday took the most aggressive step yet to strip Intel Corp chips from its computers, announcing more powerful homegrown Mac processors alongside a total revamp of its MacBook Pro laptop computers. The company showcased the chips at an event called “Unleashed,” which also included its latest audio products. The new components, called the M1 Pro and M1 Max chips, are 70 percent faster than its M1 predecessors, Apple said. It also unveiled a redesigned MacBook Pro, adding larger screens, MagSafe charging and better resolution. With the new processors and devices, Apple is aiming squarely at the high-end chips that Intel has
PRICE SPREAD: Oil trading under the Brent futures contract is giving the US a hefty edge in pricing, increasing the rush to secure cheap fuel as winter approaches Asian demand for US oil is rising as the energy crisis boosts prices for other crudes that are priced against the global Brent futures contract. China and other Asian buyers have been snapping up supertankers of US oil for delivery next month and seeking more for December, some traders have said. Most buyers are seeking US grades that had recently slumped to the lowest levels in more than a year, with an added incentive after Beijing awarded millions of tonnes of crude oil import quotas. A wide spread between Brent and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) oil futures is accommodating higher US crude
RSS