Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) will take multiple approaches other than aggressive pricing to expand and differentiate its commercial 5G services in 2021, according to company president Chee Ching.

In addition to improving the coverage and transmission quality of its 5G networks, the firm also aims to deepen technology deployment for rolling out related big data analysis, and AI and IoT applications, Ching said.

It will also tap into the 5G vertical solution market in fields such as smart city and smart manufacturing through cross-industry cooperation, she added.

To meet the goal, FET aims to boost its 5G network coverage to 90% by the end of 2021, up from about 60% currently.

It has also set a goal of soliciting up one million 5G service subscribers or a 20% penetration for its mobile subscriber business by the third quarter of this year. The number of its 5G service subscribers reached 300,000 in early December 2020, one month ahead of its original expectations.

For a medium-term goal, the company expects its 5G penetration to reach 50% within three years, Ching added.

For 5G vertical application services, the company has teamed up with Delta Electronics and Microsoft to build smart factories in Taiwan and cooperated with IBM to build smart meter management systems for Taipower. It plans to roll out more cooperation projects in 2021.

FET president Chee Ching
Photo: Max Wang, Digitimes, March 2021