Taiwan’s Far EasTone Telecommunications plans to expand its 4G user base from one million to three million by the end of the year.

The country’s number three operator with almost a 23 per cent market share (marginally behind Taiwan Mobile) said more than 60 per cent of new subscribers sign up to 4G plans, the Taipei Times reported.

4G users accounted for 13.6 per cent of its 7.4 million mobile connections at the end of 2014, according to GSMA Intelligence. By year-end the operator said about 50 per cent of its postpaid customers will be 4G users.

Rival Taiwan Mobile said in early February it also will triple its 4G connections from 1.1 million to three million by the end of the year. Almost 15 per cent of its 7.43 million connections are 4G.

Market leader Chunghwa Telecom, with a 33 per cent share, had less than a million 4G users at the end of last year. 4G users accounted for just 9 per cent of its 10.8 million users, according to GSMA Intelligence.

The country’s top three mobile players are expected to have about nine million 4G customers this year, while smaller rivals will have another one million.