The Taiwanese telecoms regulator, the National Communications Commission (NCC), has reacted positively to the news that Taiwan's WiMAX operators intend to convert to Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology. According to the NCC, 4G licensing will take place in 2014 at the earliest, while 4G technology will not be prevalent in Taiwan until 2017. However, no decisions have yet been made with regard to spectrum planning or the number of 4G licences that will be awarded.
NCC spokesperson Ta-Sung Lee indicated that four broadband operators – Global Mobile, Tatung Telecom, FarEasTone (FET) and VMAX – were awarded technology-neutral licences. The NCC has indicated that the quartet may apply to alter their operational plans in order to adopt different mobile technologies – including LTE. The other two WiMAX licensees – Fitel and Vee – have technology-specific concessions which are tied to WiMAX.