Taiwanese operator Chunghwa Telecom became the first telco in Taiwan to receive a license for 5G services, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said.
The telco expects to launch commercial 5G services in Taiwan based on the non-standalone (NSA) architecture next month.
The NCC, which regulates telecommunications and broadcasting services in Taiwan, decided to award the 5G license to Chunghwa Telecom after reviewing the telecom operator’s progress toward a 5G rollout.
The operator has been deploying 5G base stations in the municipalities of Taipei, New Taipei, Taoyuan, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung.
Chunghwa Telecom has spent NT$45.67 billion ($1.52 billion) for 90 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band and NT$618 million for 600 megahertz in the 28 GHz band.
The operator had selected Ericsson and Nokia as 5G RAN vendors. Ericsson said that will use the vendor’s Radio System base stations and Ericsson’s 5G core, including its 5G Evolved Packet Core.
Ericsson’s 5G platform for CHT will include Ericsson Radio System base stations that will operate on 3.5 GHz for the mid-band and 28 GHz for the high band. The 5G solution will also include active antenna products while supporting beam-forming functions that reduce wireless signal interference and improve 5G speed, the vendor said.
Ericsson added that its spectrum-sharing solution will allow Chunghwa Telecom to make full use of spectrum resources to accelerate 5G network coverage and promote the smooth transition of the network to 5G.
Meanwhile, Nokia said that it has been selected to leverage Chunghwa Telecom’s existing LTE install base and spectrum resources to launch 5G non-standalone (NSA) involving multiple bands, paving the way for the launch of 5G via a standalone architecture in the near future.
According to local press reports, rival operator Far EasTone Telecommunications will likely become the second 5G operator in the nation, with its license expected to be awarded next week.
Far EasTone, which secured 80 megahertz in the 3.5 GHz band for NT$40.6 billion and 400 megahertz in the 28 GHz band for NT$412 million in the auction, said it aims to launch its 5G services in the coming months. The telco expects to launch its 5G network in partnership with Ericsson.
Meanwhile, Taiwan Mobile and Taiwan Star Telecom have also secured spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band during an auction in January, while Asia Pacific Telecom only acquired frequencies in the 28 GHz band. The NCC said the review for these three operators is still at an early stage.
