2018 Taiwan - Telecoms, Mobile and Broadband - Statistics and Analyses
This report provides a comprehensive overview of trends and developments in Taiwans’s telecommunications market. The report analyses the Telecoms Infrastructure, mobile, fixed broadband, Digital Media and Digital Economy sectors. Subjects include:
Taiwan takes a world leadership role in the development of IoT
Taiwan has developed a dynamic telecommunications industry defined by excellent telecommunications infrastructure and a very competitive mobile market. Private investors are attracted to Taiwan due to its regulatory certainty, market maturity, an educated workforce and highly clustered ICT sector that sits at the heart of Taiwan’s economic development.
Overall fixed line penetration decreased from 2012 to 2018. The market is predicted to gradually decline over the next five years to 2023. Fixed line penetration is predicted to drop as mobile and mobile broadband penetration continue to increase.
Taiwan is implementing a strategy to leverage its strengths in cost-effective, advanced manufacturing to attain a significant share of the global IoT market. The government has included technological development of IoT-enabled devices under its “5+2” industrial development plan.
Fibre broadband growth in Taiwan is largely due to the migration of ADSL subscribers to fibre broadband access, attracted to the higher speeds on offer. Growth in overall fibre broadband subscriptions are expected to be subdued.
Market penetration in the fixed broadband subscriber market has remained flat over the past five years due to a declining number of fixed lines and the growing dominance of mobile broadband. Over the next five years to 2023 very slow growth is predicted.
Taiwan possesses a competitive mobile market comprised of six mobile network operators although the market is dominated by three players. High mobile penetration has resulted in intense competition to gain new subscribers hence the market was quick to embrace 4G LTE.
As with any shift in the market landscape, Taiwan’s three smaller players saw LTE introduction as an opportunity to expand market share, principally by offering more value to end users through higher speeds and/or lower prices.
Taiwan has seen a rapid increase in mobile broadband penetration over the past five years driven by strong growth of 4G mobile subscribers. Slowing growth is predicted over the next five years to 2023 as the market reaches a heightened state of maturity. The mobile broadband market will be driven by increasingly faster speeds offered by the mobile operators as they roll out their 4G and 5G networks.
Asia Pacific Telecom (APT) recently launched what is claimed to be the country’s first TD-LTE network and APT is the first operator to receive approval to build a trial 5G network. APT expects to fully deploy its trial infrastructure by the end of 2018 and is looking to begin preparing for a commercial launch in 2020.
Taiwan is implementing a strategy to attain a significant share of the global IoT market.
Cross border online shopping trade is continuing to grow strongly in Taiwan.
Taiwan has taken steps to develop a digital economy, encompassing digital media and e-services.
Line Corp has announced its entrance into Taiwan's MVNO market.
APT is the first operator to receive approval to build a trial 5G network.
Government initiatives for broadband and m-Taiwan
The 1996 Telecom Bill
WiMAX in Taiwan – licensing
Telecoms tariffs
Overview of broadcasting market
Table 3 – Taiwan - Distribution of telecom revenue by services – 2016 – 2017
Table 4 – Data communication revenue and mobile data service revenue ratios – 2001 – 2017
Table 5 – Historic - Taiwan telecoms service revenue – 1985 – 2014
Table 6 – Taiwan 2.5GHz spectrum winners – 2007
Table 7 – Taiwan - Chunghwa Telecom revenue, capex, net profit – 2000 – 2017
Table 8 – Historic - Taiwan - Chunghwa Telecom revenue breakdown – 2006 – 2016
Table 9 – Chunghwa Telecom fixed line subscribers, residential and business – 2000 – 2018
Table 12 – Historic - Taiwan - Call volumes for outgoing mobile and fixed network traffic – 1999 – 2016
Table 22 – Taiwan - Chunghwa Telecom Broadband ARPU – 2001 – 2018
Table 23 – Historic - Taiwan – Chunghwa ADSL and FTTX ARPU – 2008 – 2014
Table 24 – Taiwan Mobile – Cable Broadband Subscribers – 2008 – 2018
Table 27 – Taiwan - FTTX subscribers – 2007 – 2018
Table 32 – Historic - 2G/3G/4G mobile services ARPU – 2005 – 2017
Table 33 – Taiwan 3G/4G mobile broadband subscribers – 2008 – 2018
Table 34 – Historic SMS message volume – 2001 - 2017
Table 35 – Historic - Prepaid mobile subscribers – market share – 2001 - 2017
Table 38 – Far EasTone revenue, EBITDA, capex, net profit and ARPU – 2003 – 2017
Table 39 – Taiwan - Far EasTone mobile subscribers and annual change – 1998 – 2018
Table 42 – Taiwan Mobile ARPU – 2017 – 2018
Table 43 – Taiwan - Taiwan Mobile subscribers– 1998 – 2018
Table 45 – Chunghwa Telecom mobile subscribers market share – 2000 – 2018
Table 46 –Chunghwa Telecom’s blended mobile ARPU – 2001 – 2018
Table 47 – APT mobile subscribers – 2003 – 2017
Table 48 – Historic - Taiwan - VIBO Telecom mobile subscribers and annual change (historical) – 2005 – 2013
Chart 5 – Fixed Line Subscriptions and Penetration (with Forecast) – 2007 – 2018
Chart 7 – Fixed-line Broadband Subscribers by Technology (millions) – 2007 – 2018