Chunghwa Telecom takes first step into Europe with German subsidiary

Taipei, Aug. 28 (CNA) Taiwan telecommunications operator Chunghwa Telecom Co. has expanded into Europe for the first time after setting up a subsidiary in Frankfurt on Monday, the company said in a statement Tuesday.

The subsidiary was launched at a ceremony presided over by the chairman of the European subsidiary, Chia Chung-yung (賈仲雍), and International Business Group President Chen Chin-chou (陳錦洲) and streamed to Taipei via a video link.

In the statement, Chunghwa Telecom said it has sought to expand overseas, having already established subsidiaries in the United States, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam, and that it was pleased to have a foothold on a new continent.

"Today, with the formal establishment of its European presence, Chunghwa Telecom has completed its international service network across Europe, America, and Asia," the company said.

"This makes it the only telecom operator in Taiwan with overseas branches and the most comprehensive global network deployment," it said.

Chunghwa Telecom Chairman Kuo Shui-yi (郭水義), who followed the ceremony in Taipei, was quoted in the statement as saying: "Wherever Taiwanese businesses go, Chunghwa Telecom will be there for them."

The company decided to establish a presence in Germany, Kuo said, because it is one of Europe's most important economic hubs and has attracted many Taiwanese enterprises.

Some analysts believed that Chunghwa Telecom's move was related to Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.'s (TSMC) establishment of an advanced fab in Germany, which broke ground on Aug. 20.

They said the company will target TSMC's need for local network infrastructure and information and communications (ICT) solutions, but Chunghwa Telecom did not confirm this.

Company President Lin Chau-young (林昭陽), who also followed the ceremony in Taipei, said the establishment of the European subsidiary was an important step in the company's global expansion, and he pledged to work closely with local partners to meet the needs of Taiwanese businesses worldwide, according to the statement.

Chunghwa Telecom said the EU market and its 27 member states presented many opportunities, and that Germany, as the EU's largest economy, served as a gateway for multinational companies entering the European market.

The company planned to actively collaborate with European telecom operators, Taiwanese businesses, and ICT players in Germany, while continuing with collaborative projects with Poland-based Exatel, the statement said.

Chunghwa Telecom began working with Exatel, the largest fixed-line telecommunications company in Poland, in 2023, including launching a high-speed node network interconnection on July 21, last year, the statement said.