The 4G mobile infrastructure is growing faster in Taiwan than it is in other countries. That was the word from the head of the National Communications Commission (NCC), Howard Shyr, on Monday.
There are currently five telecom operators that hold a 4G license. The NCC is set to auction off more 4G bandwidth by the end of this year. The first such auction, in 2013, saw a record high bid of more than NT$100 billion (US$3.5 billion). That’s prompted concern among legislators that another auction could bump up costs for cell phone users.
But Shyr said that the NCC thinks the upcoming auction will be less competitive. That’s because the auction will not offer operating licenses; it will only be for existing operators looking to bid on more bandwidth. The NCC chief said that the record high bid in the initial auction prompted operators to build a very comprehensive 4G network for Taiwan.
“Judging from the last bid, mobile operators have invested substantial funds in their 4G infrastructure," said Shyr. "So Taiwan’s 4G network has been growing faster than in other countries in terms of coverage speed, in the hopes of bringing about higher returns.”