Taiwan cell users set to change carriers

Millions of cell-phone users in Taiwan will have the opportunity to change providers under new rules that take effect Thursday.

The regulations will allow users to keep their current phone numbers if they jump to different companies, which Taiwan News said could trigger massive customer defections and a shakeup of the overall mobile market.

The News said a recent survey predicted that as many as 4 million of the island's 19 million mobile subscribers could change carriers in the near term.

Applications for service changes will be taken beginning Thursday, with the actual service changes taking place in about a week. The changeover time is expected to be reduced to a single day by the end of the year.

Copyright 2005 by United Press International

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