Chunghwa Telecom drew the most consumer complaints for its mobile communication services in June as construction of its 5G system slightly disrupted its 4G operations, the National Communications Commission (NCC) said yesterday.
Chunghwa and Taiwan Mobile launched their 5G service on June 30, Far EasTone Telecommunications launched its on July 3, and all three were building cell sites prior to their launches.
The commission received 432 complaints about mobile communications service, with 134 from Chunghwa Telecom customers, an increase of 37 percent over June last year and making it the only telecom to see an increase in consumer complaints, data showed.
Of its complaints, 270 were about poor connection quality, making that issue the No. 1 source of complaints, far ahead of the Nos. 2 and 3 issues: disputes over installation of service and changes in service contracts (52 cases) and service cancelations (19 cases).
Of the complaints against Chunghwa Telecom over poor connection quality, 68 were about voice communications service and 34 were about data service.
The commission said the poor connection quality of 4G service was largely due to the temporary shutdown of cell sites for software upgrades to prepare for 5G service.
The 4G and 5G systems were developed using different spectrums, and the latter has far fewer subscribers, the commission said.
It is not possible that the 4G system became slower because of congestion at the intermediate links of its core network, the NCC said, adding that it would ask Chunghwa to find ways to upgrade facilities without compromising service quality.
Chunghwa Telecom also discounted the idea that mutual interference in the 4G and 5G systems had led to problems, as they use different spectrums.
“We have been building the infrastructure for the 5G system in the past few months, and the cell sites used by both 4G and 5G systems need to be upgraded before they are reactivated. As such, cell sites would be temporarily shut down once, which could disrupt reception for 4G users for 10 to 15 minutes,” the telecom said.
It also denied deliberately slowing 4G data transmission speed so subscribers would want to migrate to 5G, adding that an internal test found that its 4G service transmits data faster than before 5G service was launched.
Certain areas might have experienced slower Internet transmission as the demand for data communication has dramatically increased since February and the outbreak of COVID-19, it said.
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
Myanmar has turned down an offer of assistance from Taiwanese search-and-rescue teams after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck the nation on Friday last week, saying other international aid is sufficient, the National Fire Agency said yesterday. More than 1,700 have been killed and 3,400 injured in the quake that struck near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay early on Friday afternoon, followed minutes later by a magnitude 6.7 aftershock. Worldwide, 13 international search-and-rescue teams have been deployed, with another 13 teams mobilizing, the agency said. Taiwan’s search-and-rescue teams were on standby, but have since been told to stand down, as