Taiwan's leading telecom operators posted strong operational performances in September 2025, driven by the sales surge from the new iPhone 17 launch, ongoing 5G user upgrades, and rising ARPU (average revenue per user). This momentum lifted revenues and profits across the board.
Beyond solid core telecom operations, the top-three carriers have also seen diversified growth through enterprise clients, digital services, and innovative applications, contributing to multi-faceted business expansion.
CHT posts record revenue with double-digit IDC and cloud growth
Chunghwa Telecom (CHT) reported consolidated September revenue of NT$20.19 billion (approx. US$658 million), operating profit of NT$3.89 billion, pre-tax profit of NT$4.04 billion, net income attributable to parent company shareholders of NT$3.08 billion, and EBITDA of NT$7.23 billion.
The company said its overall consolidated revenue grew 3.6% year-over-year in September, marking a historical high for the period. The growth was mainly fueled by robust smartphone sales and contributions from subsidiaries, alongside sustained momentum in core telecom businesses. Broadband and mobile revenues both achieved over 3% annual growth, pushing September revenue to a record high.
For the first nine months of 2025, CHT's consolidated revenue reached NT$170.46 billion, with NT$37.17 billion in operating profit, NT$38.09 billion in pre-tax profit, and NT$29.41 billion in net income attributable to parent shareholders. All these metrics exceeded the company's annual financial targets.
In mobile services, popular 5G speed upgrade plans and the release of new iPhone and Android models drove an increase in high-tier users. Postpaid subscribers rose 1.2% year-over-year to 9.98 million, while postpaid ARPU increased 1.6% to NT$560. Summer travel season boosted prepaid card and international roaming revenues, resulting in a 3.0% annual rise in total mobile service revenue.
Broadband saw double-digit growth in users subscribing to speeds above 300Mbps, lifting fixed broadband ARPU by 2.9% to NT$813 and driving broadband revenue up 3.3% year-over-year.
Although ICT business revenue slightly declined due to a high base from one-time projects recognized in September 2024, key segments remained stable. Data center and cloud services experienced strong double-digit growth thanks to expanding customer data center construction and equipment hosting demand. Rising corporate awareness of data center and network security further propelled cybersecurity solutions revenue to double-digit growth in September.
TWM advances content and mobility ecosystems
Taiwan Mobile (TWM) delivered impressive mobile service revenue in September, benefiting from the hot sales of the iPhone 17 series launched on September 19 and contributions from new technology ventures. These factors supported continued growth in smartphone postpaid ARPU. Profitability improved as mobile and fixed-line revenues pushed telecom operating profit and EBITDA up 4% year-over-year in September.
TWM's unaudited consolidated revenue for September was NT$15.78 billion, with operating profit reaching NT$1.67 billion, and net income NT$1.14 billion. For the first nine months, revenue totaled NT$141.98 billion, operating profit NT$15.44 billion (up 4% year-over-year), and net income NT$10.56 billion.
TWM chief financial officer and spokesperson George Chang highlighted the telecom firm's expanded investment in video content. Strategic partner Nada Holdings successfully listed on Taiwan's OTC market on September 18, becoming the first Taiwanese ACG (anime, comics, and games) IP firm to enter capital markets.
On 5G innovation, TWM collaborated with Qualcomm and Nokia to complete Taiwan's first uplink transmission switching technology verification, boosting 5G upload speeds by 30%. This significantly enhances real-time upload experiences for AI, AR/VR, and connected car applications, unlocking uplink potential.
TWM is also growing its Taiwan Mobility ecosystem, integrating charging, sharing, parking, energy storage, and leasing into a one-stop sustainable mobility service. Its MyCharge charging network will expand to cover over 100 locations and 550 chargers nationwide by end-2025.
FET mobile services have grown for 55 consecutive months
Far EasTone Telecommunications (FET) benefited from strong iPhone-driven user upgrades to 5G and steady growth in digital lifestyle services and enterprise smart ICT, achieving consolidated revenue exceeding NT$10 billion for the first time in a single month. September revenue hit a historic high of NT$10.084 billion, up 10.6% year-over-year. Consolidated EBITDA and net income also set records for the period at NT$3.154 billion and NT$1.194 billion, growing 3.8% and 9.6%, respectively.
For the first nine months of 2025, FET's cumulative consolidated revenue, EBITDA, and net income grew 2.9%, 4.9%, and 9.0% year-over-year, reaching NT$77.662 billion, NT$28.259 billion, and NT$10.064 billion, respectively. Third-quarter 2025 net income surpassed guidance by 6%, reflecting excellent operational performance.
FET's total subscriber base steadily increased in September, with 5G penetration among postpaid users reaching 46.2%, the highest in the industry. Postpaid ARPU continued climbing, driving overall mobile service revenue to NT$5.188 billion, up 2.2% year-over-year and marking 55 consecutive months of positive growth since March 2021.
Enterprise smart ICT showed strong growth in September, supported by the successful delivery of system integration and IoT projects, along with steady cloud and cybersecurity service expansion. Personal digital services maintained double-digit revenue growth, including FET's active expansion in entertainment services through investments in musicals and exhibitions. Its friDay Video platform also partnered with cross-industry food delivery platforms for the first time, further boosting revenue. Additionally, the network security service Guardian Network continued to perform strongly.
Article edited by Jack Wu
