The Taiwanese telecom market size from 1998 to mid-2006 and Taiwanese PWLAN subscriber base between June 2003 and March 2006; revenue from the Taiwanese telecom market in 2005; development of integrated services in the Taiwanese telecom market; 2G subscribers' ARPU for period 1998 – 2005; investment in WiMAX development by operators, including fixed line operators, cable TV operators, mobile communication operators, PHS operators, and ISPs and BWAs; operators' advantages and disadvantages in WiMAX development.
Figure 1 Taiwanese PWLAN Subscribers, June 2003 - March 2006
Figure 2 Taiwanese Telecom Service Revenue, 2003 - 2005
Figure 3 Taiwanese 2G Service ARPU, 1998 - 2005
Figure 4 Taiwanese Mobile Phone Subscribers by Operator, May 2006
Figure 5 Taiwanese 2G and PHS Subscribers, December 2001 - May 2006
Figure 6 Taiwan's Four Major Telecom Business Groups and their Business Scope
Table 1 Taiwanese Telecom Subscribers, 1998 - May 2006
Possession of existing backbone and backhaul networks puts fixed line operators and cable TV operators at an advantage when it comes to developing WiMAX service. Mobile operators will benefit from their extensive base station networks; ISPs will be at somewhat of a disadvantage. Given the trend towards cross-industry integration in the Taiwanese telecommunications sector, with large telecom business groups' growing market dominance, it would appear that Chunghwa Telecom, the Taiwan Mobile Group, the FarEasTone Group, and the Asia Pacific Group - all of which possess extensive network and base station resources - will be best placed to develop WiMAX service in a cost-effective manner.
Figure 6
Taiwan's Four Major Telecom Business Groups and their Business Scope
Note: EMC (Eastern Multimedia) is not a member of the Asia Pacific Group, but is a member of the Eastern Group, which controls the Asia Pacific Group. Source: MIC, October 2006
Appendix
List of Companies
APBW
亞太行動寬頻
APOL
亞太線上
Asia Pacific Group
亞太電信集團
Asia Pacific Broadband Telecom
亞太固網寬頻
China Network Systems
和信中嘉
Chunghwa Telecom
中華電信
Eastern Group
東森
FarEasTone
遠傳
FarEasTone Group
遠東集團
FITEL
大眾電信
Government Information Office
新聞局
HiNet
KG Telecom
和信電訊
Kinpo Group
金仁寶集團
Ministry of Transportation and Communications
交通部
Mobitai
東信
Pacific Broadband
太平洋聯網
Q-Ware
安源資訊
VIBO Telecom
威寶
Taiwan Fixed Network
台灣固網
Taiwan Mobile
台灣大哥大
TransAsia Telecom
泛亞電信
Seednet
新世紀資通
Sparq
WePower Wireless Broadband
威堡寬帶