Taiwanese mobile network operator Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) has confirmed that it aims to continue the expansion and enhancement of its third-generation network, the Digitimes reports. It is understood that the operator will continue to deploy new 3G base stations, while it also plans to expand its fibre-optic backhaul network, the report claims, citing FET chief technical officer Jeffrey Gee.
According to the executive, FET now has more 3G base stations than 2G, and is capable of providing mobile broadband at speeds of up to 42Mbps in all metropolitan areas around the country. Looking ahead, the mobile operator is aiming to add more 3G cell sites with a view to increasing the total number deployed to some 20% higher than the number of 2G base stations it has constructed.
In terms of other network developments, FET expects to expand its fibre-based connectivity to 95% of its entire backhaul network, up from 90% currently, while the cellco is planning to boost the number of Wi-Fi hotspots it has in operation from 25,000 to 36,000 next year. With a large portion of the to-be-deployed Wi-Fi hotspots to be located outdoors, Mr Gee claimed that the expansion will allow it to achieve its aim of increasing the percentage of mobile data traffic offloaded to the Wi-Fi network from 4% to 10% in two years’ time. Such infrastructure improvement plans, meanwhile, mean that FET now expects it CAPEX budget for 2013 to exceed the TWD9 billion (USD309 million) that it had set aside for 2012.