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Taiwan awards last WiMax licence
11 March 2010
PHS operator Fitel has won a WiMax licence from Taiwan’s regulator and plans to start services in the north of the island later in 2010
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First International Telecom
First International Telecom has been granted a WiMax service licence from Taiwan’s telecom regulator. First International has secured the island’s sixth and last WiMax service licence.
The company — better known as Fitel — will launch the service in northern Taiwan in six months. Fitel has constructed 42 base stations in Hsinchu City. Fitel, headed by Charlie Wu, operates services using the Japanese PHS system — personal handyphone system.
Separately, Taiwanese WiMax specialist, VMax Telecom, may spend around nearly $47 million to expand its wireless broadband services in Taipei through 2010. VMax is expanding its services in cooperation with taxi fleet operators in the Taipei area.
The number of taxis having a WiMax-enabled device from VMax may increase to 1,000 units at the end of March 2010. The number may further increase to 5,000 at the end of 2010 and to 20,000 a year later.
VMax expects 40,000 subscribers to its service by end-2010, which may increase to 80,000 in 2011. VMax started its WiMax network on Jan. 26, 2010, covering 85% of Taipei City. GTB