According to the Research and Markets, Taiwan’s annual market growth of the mobile subscriber market has been in low single digit figures from 2011 to 2014. Market penetration peaked in 2014 at 129. By 2015 the market saw a slight contraction due to a highly mature and saturated market. Market penetration declined to 128% in 2015 and 127% in 2016 with the market reaching 29.7 million subscribers.
Research and Markets reported that Taiwan has developed a dynamic telecommunications industry defined by excellent telecommunications infrastructure and a very competitive mobile market. Taiwan's fixed-line market continues to be dominated by incumbent operator Chunghwa Telecom despite competition and fixed mobile substitution eating into its market share and fixed-line revenue.
However, the market remains important due to the increasing popularity of fixed broadband which is undergoing a transition from predominantly DSL to fiber access based platforms.
Taiwan's telecoms industry is served by six mobile operators and four fixed-line operators. However, many telecoms sub-sectors are at or near saturation which limits the scope for growth.
Taiwan boasts one of the world's most advanced broadband networks and broadcasting infrastructure. To improve its position within the ICT value chain the Taiwanese government and private investors invested significantly in developing standards such as WiMAX. Private investors are attracted to Taiwan due to its regulatory certainty, market maturity, an educated workforce and highly clustered ICT sector that sits at the heart of Taiwan's economic development.
The number of fixed-line subscribers in Taiwan grew gradually before peaking in 2005. Since then the trend has been one of gradual decline as fixed-lines are substituted with mobile phones. CHT has tried to arrest the decline in fixed-lines by focusing on selling fixed broadband products. Fixed line penetration has decreased gradually from 54.6 in 2011 to 49.7% in 2016.
Taiwan possesses a competitive mobile market comprised of six mobile network operators, of which three dominate the market. High mobile penetration means competition is intense to gain new subscribers hence the market was quick to embrace LTE due to the new subscriber opportunity it presented.
