Although 5G services have been available in Taiwan since June 2020, nearly 70 percent of mobile phone users still subscribe to 4G services, data from the National Communications Commission (NCC) showed.
As of June 30, the nation had about 29.73 million mobile phone users, with about 69 percent using 4G services. Users of 5G services only accounted for 31 percent.
There was also a significant disparity in the adoption rate after the respective services were launched.
Photo: CNA
After 4G services became available in 2014, the penetration rate topped 95 percent within just three years.
However, the penetration rate of 5G services remains about 35 percent four years after they were launched.
A survey conducted by the NCC found that people did not migrate from 4G to 5G mainly because their need to access mobile Internet services can be sufficiently met using 4G.
Some said the monthly fees for 5G services are higher than those of 4G services, while others said 5G technology has yet to mature.
Monthly fees for 4G services vary from NT$199 to NT$599, and subscribers can access unlimited Internet services at 21 megabits per second (Mbps) by paying only NT$499 per month.
Monthly fees of 5G services range from NT$599 to NT$2,699, allowing users to access high-speed Internet services at 500Mbps to 1 gigabit per second (Gbps).
However, to access unlimited Internet services, 5G users would need to pay at least NT$1,399 per month.
A woman surnamed Kuo (郭) said she only pays about NT$200 per month for 4G service because she texts and calls people mostly through the mobile messaging app Line, and can access WiFi at home and her office.
Upgrading to 5G would be unnecessary, she said.
A man surnamed Lin (林), who likes to binge-watch TV series, said it is better to subscribe to broadband services and watch TV series on television screens than upgrade to 5G and watch on mobile phones.
Another man surnamed Hsu (許) said his decision to upgrade to 5G paid off, as he can access more stable and faster Internet services on his cellphones whenever he is in a crowded area, unlike his friends who use the 4G system.
Due to the lack of consumer demand, 5G is mainly used at the business-to-business and vehicle-to-everything level, NCC Chief Secretary Huang Wen-je (黃文哲) said.
“We hope that businesses develop more consumer-oriented applications and offer more monthly plan options,” he said.
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
A former officer in China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) who witnessed the aftermath of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre has warned that Taiwan could face a similar fate if China attempts to unify the country by force. Li Xiaoming (李曉明), who was deployed to Beijing as a junior officer during the crackdown, said Taiwanese people should study the massacre carefully, because it offers a glimpse of what Beijing is willing to do to suppress dissent. “What happened in Tiananmen Square could happen in Taiwan too,” Li told CNA in a May 22 interview, ahead of the massacre’s 36th anniversary. “If Taiwanese students or
RSS