Taiwan mobile operator Chunghwa Telecom has earmarked US$4 billion to invest in its 3G W-CDMA/HSPA network over the next five to seven years, company chairman Ho Chen Tan revealed this week. The operator – Taiwan’s largest with a total subscriber base of over 8.5 million – also plans to up its 3G base from around 2.1 million today to nine million in five years.
In addition to the 3G growth, the operator plans to raise its CAPEX by around one-fifth next year to US$987 million. Of that total, around US$555 million will be used for buying handsets. Chunghwa’s Chairman also added that the group is seeking overseas acquisition opportunities.