Any recommendations on whether there are better deals around?
Chunghwa were offering a NT$599/month for unlimited data on 4G. It has a 2 year contract.
I have some PTSD from previous internet and phone providers who provided terrible service (like very slow speeds) and you couldn’t escape from them because the contract tied you down to them, and the fine print said there may be limitations to their bandwidth due to network issues (i.e. other heavy users, not necessarily yourself). The 2 year contracts give me flashbacks. Am I unduly worried with CHT?
I would mostly use the data for Google Maps and Google Translate, so for me coverage is the most important. Especially since one of my hobbies is hiking in remote places. According to my research online, CHT has the best coverage.
In distance second place for priorities, it would be reading the news or watching Youtube videos, if I am somewhere and have time to spare. I do not believe I need 5G as of yet.
I already signed up for CHT’s home fiber package, the cheapest one. Because the salesperson said I can upgrade the package with a phone call, and without any penalties, but I cannot downgrade my package without penalties.
What are the terms of your home internet and 4G? Up/down speed, and possibly ping if you have it?
Above all, for me the coverage of my mobile phone provider is the most important (even more so than the quality of the home internet). The last thing I need would be to be hiking or driving in the middle of nowhere, and I am lost because Google Maps has no internet connection and can’t ask for help because Google Translate doesn’t work.
120/40 mbps for home internet. 4G I get about 40-100 both ways. Can go lower in congestion but never had an issue with Google Maps.
I am signing a new contract and apparently it has 5G as well with a soft cap of 60 GB from there goes to 4G speeds. I don’t have a 5G phone and am not intending to upgrade soon.
2-30
Taiwan Mobile is part of the ‘big three’ that I like to call. Chunghwa, TWM and Fareastone while APT and Taiwanstar are the minor discount brands.
The big three have similar coverage.
Then I’d suggest downloading the translations library to your phone on Google Translate as none of the carriers have full service in all of the mountainous areas. I would bear that in mind when doing serious hikes. All of the big carriers make an attempt to cover major roads, but there are mountainous dead zones with all three. The mountainous spine of the country is a major telco black hole.
The closest comparable CHT package to yours, is the 100/40 home fiber package ($466/month) and their 4G unlimited package ($599/month).
What are your contract periods and termination terms like?
The salesperson estimated about NT$1300 if I terminate mine with about 300 days remaining in the 2 year period. Not the end of the world, but the freer customers are to walk the better the incentive for them to give good service, I think.
Does Taiwan have cooling-off periods under Consumer Law for customers who sign a contract in person, but change their mind?
Yea. The TWM does go up. I believe $1199 comes with 300 mbps for home internet
$1399 comes with unlimited 5G
Not exactly sure, I’d have to ask. I just completed my two year contract.
I agree, but they don’t think that way here. You finish the contract, you are given a grace period to sign a new one or they cut you off. No telco has a retentions team and nobody will express that kind of american-style customer service sorrow when you threaten to leave.
They just don’t respond to threats to leave. In almost every service here. This is not TWM. It’s EVERYONE. EVERYONE is rigid in their rules. In banks, in telcos, in everything. They will not budge because they are more afraid of defying the boss than keeping you a customer.
The market is just dying for a venture capitalist to shake shit up.
Personally, I am with TWM because their customer service is the best, but it doesn’t mean I have been complaint-free.
I signed up for an unlimited 4G SIM from circles.life. I forget the price, but it is around 450/month and there is no contract. There are other posts on here about them. I will hopefully receive in a few days.
x is the amount you have to pay.
y is the remaining time you have on your contract
z is the length of contract in months.
24 month contract with 12 months remaining is
12(5500/24) = $2750.
I am always sceptical of employee speculation. People can and often do get it wrong or say something wrong to save face. You will be screwed over, they will sleep just fine with no consequences. Trust me. I’ve been burned by employee speculation multiple times and they didn’t care or didn’t believe. Get it in writing or video.
They have different plans and tiers of service where you can get free/reduced price phones.
Last I heard for iphones you had to get a plan that costs about 1500 a month, which gives you a lot of voice/land line minutes. The problem is often you had to prepay a year up front to get them.
They dont pay retail prices, they have a steep discounts for buying big amounts of handsets.
for most consumers the handeet deal is mot worthwhile, you can buy a stand alone device cheaper than through the carrier.
The only two downsides of Circles.Life (I have been a happy customer for over 3 years now) to date are:
I encountered issues with my phone number and government apps like NHI. The system labeled it as a prepaid card and rejected it.
They don’t offer international roaming of any sort. My phone wouldn’t even connect to a network when overseas. No way to even receive SMS, which is a problem when you need 2FA for i.e. banking services.
