Taiwanese operator Asia Pacific Telecom (APT) said it expects its 5G network to reach 90% of the nation’s population by the end of this year, local paper Taipei Times reported.
According to the report, the telco expects to have a total of 9,500 5G base stations by the end of 2021 as part of a deal to share infrastructure with Far EasTone Telecommunications.
Asia Pacific currently provides 5G services through 7,500 base stations utilizing the 3.5GHz spectrum owned by Far EasTone.
“Asia Pacific has obtained a new opportunity to thrive, thanks to the new telecommunications regulation that allows telecoms to co-share and co-build 5G networks,” company chairman Lu Fang-ming was quoted as saying.
In March, Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) gave conditional approval for Asia Pacific Telecom to share Far EasTone Telecommunications’ 5G frequencies using its own 5G network. In September 2020, FET and APT had announced a partnership to provide 5G services on Taiwan’s 3.5 GHz frequency band.
Asia Pacific Telecom said it has seen a rebound in subscriber numbers after rolling out its 5G services in October last year. The telco saw a 17% jump in average revenue per user from 5G subscribers compared with its 4G users, according to the report.
The operator also said it aims to upgrade 20% of its mobile subscribers base — or about 400,000 users — to its new 5G services by the end of this year.
Earlier this week, NCC gave the green light for Far EasTone to invest NT$5 billion ($179 million) for an 11.58% stake in Asia Pacific.
Taiwan is expected to reach a 5G penetration rate of nearly 30% by the end of this year, local new site Digitimes reported, citing industry sources.
According to the report, Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) currently leads the Taiwanese 5G market, with nearly 1 million subscribers. The operator is expected to reach 2 million 5G customers by the end of the year.
The carrier currently operates a total of 8,000 5G base stations, with plans to expand this figure to 10,000 by the end of the year, according to the sources.
The operator was the first telco in Taiwan to receive a license for 5G services from the National Communications Commission (NCC). Chunghwa Telecom launched commercial 5G services in Taiwan based on the non-standalone (NSA) 5G architecture.
Meanwhile, Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) has already secured over 800,000 5G subscribers and expects 5G service users to account for 30% of its total mobile services by the end of 2021. The company has already deployed over 7,000 5G base stations, with its coverage reaching 75% of the total population in Taiwan.
Taiwan Mobile currently has 800,000 subscribers in the 5G segment and aims to increase its 5G penetration rate to 30% by the end of the year, according to the report.
Taiwan Mobile had partnered with Nokia to launch its 5G network. The telco had acquired 60 megahertz of spectrum in the 3.5 GHz band and 200 megahertz of the 28 GHz frequency.
