Local information 10: Communications

Public phones

There are two types of public phones: coined operated and card operated. If you plan to use an international calling card, you must insert a coin or card as temporary deposit. The deposit will automatically be refuned to you at the end of the call. Some of the public phones in airport or major hotels may take credit card.

Some of the card operated public phones required you to insert a special pre-paid card to dial.

Please note, not all card operated public phones accept calling card purchased outside Taiwan.

International roaming for mobile phones

Taiwan has a high-density mobile phone network in GSM 900/1800 standard. WCDMA 2100 is another useful standard but the total coverage is not as wide as the well-built GSM network.

Dialing codes

International calls

To place calls to numbers outside of Taiwan, Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu, dial international call prefix first, and the destination's country code, followed by area code and the local number.

Although there are many telephone companies offering international call service in Taiwan, the most common one is 009 (Chunghwa Telecom). Other prefixes include 006 (Taiwan Fixed Network), 007 (Sparq), and 005 (Asia Pacific Broadband Telecom).

Domestic calls

To make domestic calls to any where inside greate Taipei area, you do not need an area code. If you are calling some one outside Taipei, you need the area code starts with 0.

Calling mobile phones

Some countries use the same system for land line and mobile phone system. Taiwan is using two different ones and all mobile phone number start with 09. When you call a mobile phone, the charge per minute is much higher than calling a land line number.

Internet

Ethernet

Some hotels may provide free internet connection service. Unless you could read Chinese interface, otherwise you may not be able to use Internet Cafe service.

Wireless

Taipei enjoys citywide internet wireless access, including within its subway/metro system.

Postal service

The postal service in Taiwan is extremely reliable. Post offices are open Monday through Friday from 8am to 5pm. Stamps may be purchased at any convenience store.

Mail collection boxes are painted either red or green and are roughly modeled after Japanese mailboxes. The red box is used for airmail and prompt delivery. The green box is used for local and islandwide mail. If the box is painted half red and green, put the islandwide mail in the green section and the airmail and prompt delivery mail in the red section.

Comprehensive information can be found at http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_english . Postal rates are located at http://www.post.gov.tw/post/internet/u_english/postal_f_5.jsp .

Postcard rates:

Taiwan: NT$2.5
Hong Kong and Macao: NT$6
Asia and Oceania: NT$10
United States and Canada: NT$11
All other places: NT$12