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CHT transforming into ICT system integration provider, eyeing international market

Max Wang, Taipei; Willis Ke, DIGITIMES Asia 0

Jay Huang, deputy managing director at CHT's International Business Group; credit: DIGITIMES Asia

Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) is on track to gradually transform itself from a telecom services provider into an ICT system integration supplier by leveraging the growingly mature AI, 5GT, big data analysis and cloud technologies, looking to break the limitations of regionalized telecom operations through the new role and cooperate with partners to jointly develop international markets, according to Jay Huang, deputy managing director at CHT's International Business Group.

Huang said at the Digitimes Asia-hosted Supply Chain Summit that CHT not only continues to optimize its core telecom business but is also working hard to promote new connectivity services such as 5G private networks and mobile IoT solutions.

He continued the company is also developing systematic solutions for different smart applications such as smart manufacturing, smart healthcare, smart city and smart mobility through its own R&D, re-investments and forging alliances with partners, aiming to help enterprises accelerate digital transformation and build a more flexible and resilient supply chain and management system.

In terms of mobile IoT, Huang noted, 3GPP, in addition to 4G LTE, has developed narrowband IoT protocols with low power consumption, wide coverage, low cost and massive terminal connections catering to different needs. Moreover, existing 4G base stations can be upgraded to support NB-IoT and LTE-M, which will help to rapidly boost the coverage of mobile IoT networks, he remarked.

Huang cited statistics indicating that there will be 5.7 billion mobile IoT devices by 2025, with those for autonomous driving vehicles to grow the fastest. But the biggest challenge to the development of the Internet of Vehicles (IoV) lies in whether there is sufficient bandwidth and whether IoV services can be provided to users immediately and continuously. In this regard, he disclosed, CHT is using e-SIM combined with networks to provide users with a better self-driving car networking experience spurring the development of the IoV segment.

To meet the demand for information security and IoT devices management, CHT has developed an IoT management platform, which can help enterprises agilely manage IoT devices through a Web Portal and multiple APIs, according to Huang.

Huang said CHT maintains partnerships with more than 500 telecom networks in over 200 countries around the world, offering an extremely high network coverage rate. This, coupled with the support of cross-border connectivity platforms, e-SIM and diverse transmission technologies, has enabled CHT to become the best partner for enterprises to help them expedite digital transformation and smart applications, which in turn will also drive the transformation at CHT.