The race for Taiwan’s potentially rich mobile telephone market was underway on Tuesday with the closing of applications for government licenses. The Taiwanese government said 17 joint ventures have submitted applications for eight cellular phone operation licenses in the recently-deregulated market. Taiwan’s Koo’s Group said it had signed agreements with Sprint Corp and Microelectronics Technology Inc to launch a mobile phone joint venture. AirTouch Communications Inc and Walsin Lihwa Corp confirmed they were partners in a $218m venture. Other previously declared applicants include Japan’s Mitsubishi Corp in an eight partner venture with Taiwan’s Tung Ho Steel, Singapore Telecommunications Ltd with Taiwan’s Aurora Corp, Hong Kong Telecommunications Ltd, and Pacific Electric Wire & Cable Inc with Acer Inc. Taiwan’s state-owned Chinese Petroleum Corp also says it is considering launching a venture.
