The nation’s telecoms suffered a NT$4.14 billion (US$135.55 million) drop in revenue in the first quarter of this year, a National Communications Commission (NCC) report said yesterday.
Revenue earned by the telecoms totaled NT$45.32 billion, a decline of about 8 percent from NT$49.46 billion in the fourth quarter of last year, the report said.
Revenue from data transmission services dropped from NT$25.23 billion in the fourth quarter to NT$24.49 billion in the first quarter, it said.
Voice communication service revenue slid about 8 percent to NT$16.64 billion, while short message service revenue was flat from the fourth quarter, it added.
Other revenues decreased from NT$5.55 billion in the fourth quarter to NT$3.66 billion in the first quarter, the report said.
The report also revealed other significant results.
Telecom service users totaled 28.63 million in the first quarter, a drop of about 18,000 from that in the fourth quarter, it said.
The number of 4G subscribers rose by about 956,000 in the first quarter, while 3G service users fell by about 974,000 and prepaid card users totaled about 5.87 million, which was the same as in the fourth quarter, it added.
The average revenue per user for 4G subscribers in the first quarter dropped by NT$66.7 to NT$576.3 and fell by NT$21.6 to NT$318.7 for 3G users, the report said.
Telecoms saw a continued decline in voice communication service usage, with voice communication talk time in the first quarter decreasing by 300 million minutes to 3.87 billion minutes across 3G and 4G networks, it said.
By contrast, data transmission volume in the first quarter rose 30.6 petabytes to about 1.05 exabytes, it added.
Revenue has declined continuously since the first quarter of last year: from NT$50.94 billion to NT$50.47 billion in the second quarter, NT$50.33 billion in the third quarter, NT$49.46 billion in the fourth quarter and NT$45.32 billion in the first quarter of this year, commission spokesman Wong Po-tsung (翁柏宗) said.
“If telecoms only offer unlimited mobile Internet plans at a flat rate and do not offer new value-added services, they will not be able to generate enough revenue to sustain their operations,” Wong said.
“That would affect their investment in the development of 5G technology,” which would enable ultra-reliable low-latency communication, as well as facilitate the development of Internet of Things applications and enhanced mobile broadband, he said.
The development of all three advances would be unlikely to materialize if telecoms continue to operate under their current business model, he added.
AGING: While Japan has 22 submarines, Taiwan only operates four, two of which were commissioned by the US in 1945 and 1946, and transferred to Taiwan in 1973 Taiwan would need at least 12 submarines to reach modern fleet capabilities, CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman Chen Cheng-hung (陳政宏) said in an interview broadcast on Friday, citing a US assessment. CSBC is testing the nation’s first indigenous defense submarine, the Hai Kun (海鯤, Narwhal), which is scheduled to be delivered to the navy next month or in July. The Hai Kun has completed torpedo-firing tests and is scheduled to undergo overnight sea trials, Chen said on an SET TV military affairs program. Taiwan would require at least 12 submarines to establish a modern submarine force after assessing the nation’s operational environment and defense
Yangmingshan National Park authorities yesterday urged visitors to respect public spaces and obey the law after a couple was caught on a camera livestream having sex at the park’s Qingtiangang (擎天崗) earlier in the day. The Shilin Police Precinct in Taipei said it has identified a suspect and his vehicle registration number, and would summon him for questioning. The case would be handled in accordance with public indecency charges, it added. The couple entered the park at about 11pm on Thursday and began fooling around by 1am yesterday, the police said, adding that the two were unaware of the park’s all-day live
The coast guard today said that it had disrupted "illegal" operations by a Chinese research ship in waters close to the nation and driven it away, part of what Taipei sees a provocative pattern of China's stepped up maritime activities. The coast guard said that it on Thursday last week detected the Chinese ship Tongji (同濟號), which was commissioned only last year, 29 nautical miles (54km) southeast of the southern tip of Taiwan, although just outside restricted waters. The ship was observed lowering ropes into the water, suspected to be the deployment of scientific instruments for "illegal" survey operations, and the coast
A former soldier and an active-duty army officer were yesterday indicted for allegedly selling classified military training materials to a Chinese intelligence operative for a total of NT$79,440. The Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office indicted Chen Tai-yin (陳泰尹) and Lee Chun-ta (李俊達) for contravening the National Security Act (國家安全法) and the Anti-Corruption Act (貪污治罪條例). Chen left the military in September 2013 after serving alongside then-staff sergeant Lee, now an army lieutenant, at the 21st Artillery Command of the army’s Sixth Corps from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment. Chen met a Chinese intelligence operative identified as “Wang” (王) through a friend in November
RSS