Three leading Taiwanese telecom operators, Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone, are expected to have a total of five million 5G users by 2021, the Commercial Daily News reported on February 22. On top of that, they will purchase 5G network equipment worth NT$30 billion (US$1.09 billion; US$1=NT$27.5) in 2021, NT$15.7 billion (US$570.1 million) of which will be contributed by Chunghwa Telecom, NT$11.8 billion (US$429 million) by Taiwan Mobile, and the remaining by Far EasTone. It is anticipated that, by the end of 2021, Chunghwa Telecom’s 5G users will top 2 million. Taiwan Mobile will have 1.4 million to 1.5 million 5G subscribers, 15%-20% of its mobile base, while Far EasTone’s 5G users will take up 20%-30% of its mobile base, equivalent to 1.6 million users. According to NCC (National Communications Commission) statistics, the mobile data ARPU (Average Revenue Per User) of Taiwan’s five telecom operators was NT$437.2 (US$15.7) in the third quarter of 2020.
According to GSA statistics, the number of global 5G users will top 1.8 billion by 2025, accounting for 21% of global mobile base; the number of 5G devices available reached 208 as of January 2021, representing a whopping 260% growth compared to January 2020. As of mid-December 2020,135 telecom operators from 58 countries launched their 5G commercial networks, accounting for 18% of global operators. China continues to lead in 5G user base and has 180 million 5G users, followed by South Korea.
Global 5G smartphone shipment volume is estimated to reach 539 million units in 2021, with a penetration rate of 39.8% and a 136% growth compared to 2020, according to MIC (Market Intelligence & Consulting Institute), a major government think tank, a division of III (Institute for Information Industry), and leading IT research institutes in Taiwan.