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Asia Pacific Telecom to roll out 4G service(China Post (Taiwan) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) The National Communications Commission (NCC) has granted Asia Pacific Telecom the 4G operating license using the 700 MHz frequency, and the telecom company is set to launch its 4G broadband service by yearend. Earlier this month, the NCC also granted Asia Pacific one million cell numbers that can be employed in 4G service. With the new 4G license, Asia Pacific has achieved a new milestone in the 4G landscape, the company said yesterday. According to the NCC, upon finishing infrastructure construction and drafting data plans, Asia Pacific submitted its application on Oct. 8, which was approved yesterday, and the company has to launch its new service within six months, according to local regulations. Asia Pacific becomes the fifth company in Taiwan to obtain the 4G operating license. With more players in the 4G industry, the NCC expects more diversified data plans to be introduced by local telecom companies to satisfy different consumer demands. A Win for Hon Hai In fact, the good news from Asia Pacific's marked a new achievement for Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the largest electronics contract manufacturer in the world. Lu Fangming, the president of Asia Pacific and the vice president of Hon Hai, said the telecom company represents an important outreach for Hong Hai's endeavor in the network industry. After a merger with Ambit Microsystems Corp., Asia Pacific is posed to roll out brand new telecom services, adapting the technology to advance its application in consumers' everyday life, including work, education, entertainment, socializing, security, health and wealth management. In addition to continue its infrastructure construction, Asia Pacific will team up with Taiwan Mobile Co. to share network resources. This will enable Asia Pacific to provide greater network coverage, which will translate into better voice quality and higherdefinition videos, Lu said, adding that Hon Hai will provide 4G compatible phones in this endeavor. Telecom Firms to Roll out Favorable Plans: NCC Asia Pacific is working with Nokia and AlcatelLucent to construct signal towers, and Huawei of China is no longer in the scene, said institutional investors. Asia Pacific will establish its own distribution channels and service applications, as part of its effort to better serve business clients and general public, Lu said. According to NCC statistics, there are currently 1.6 million 4G users in Taiwan. The NCC forecast that the number will grow to three million by yearend. As data plans rolled out by telecom companies do not require the NCC's review or approval, companies will keep on introducing plans to win market share, the NCC said. |