| Government to begin offering MVNO telecom service licenses |
| Friday, August 29, 2003 |
| Source: The Taiwan Economic News |
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The government has announced that it will start accepting applications for business licenses from mobile virtual network operators (MVNO) starting September 1. Officials at the Directorate-General of Telecommunications under the Ministry of Transportation & Communications (MOTC) said there will no limitations concerning the required capital and the number of licenses to be granted for MVNO firms. The government will also open the licenses for the second- and third-generation MVNO licenses at the same time. Market analysts said the government policy will have certain impact on the business operations of those engaged in the third-generation (3G) cellular telecom services. The MVNO, which have no telecom networks, will be able to rent the networks from first-category telecom companies, such as the state-run Chunghwa Telecom Co., to provide services to customers. Arcoa, a leading marketing chain store offering telecom equipment, has expressed keen interest in applying for the MVNO license. The telecom service giants with 3G licenses but having lesser number of customers also welcome the government policy. They hope the new license will help them attract more customers. |