How to Get Internet in Taiwan

person in taipei city, taiwan
Theodore
Travel Writer

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To set up internet in Taiwan, you must visit your chosen internet provider, give them 2 forms of identification, and wait for a technician to set up your services.

I’ve lived in Taiwan for around 5 years and use the internet daily. I want to help you get internet access in Taiwan.


Summary

  • You need an ARC/APRC & a passport to apply for internet.
  • Hi-Net is the most popular internet provider in Taiwan.
  • Speeds for residents go up to 1.0 Gbps.
  • Taiwan offers ADSL, cable, & fiber internet.

Requirements to Sign up for Internet in Taiwan

When signing up for internet services in Taiwan, you’ll need the following:

  • Alien Resident Certificate (ARC): primary ID
  • Passport: secondary ID
  • Application: in-person or online

Even with that information, the company may require you to have a Taiwanese guarantor. A local who’ll sign up for the plan with you.

Many apartments in Taiwan already include internet connectivity. And landlords won’t charge extra. They will have a modem and a router in a hall that beams Wi-Fi to all the rooms on your floor.

To improve your internet speed and security, I recommend getting a router. If your room has an Ethernet port, connect it to your router using an Ethernet cable.


How to Sign up for Internet in Taiwan

To sign up for internet services in Taiwan, follow these steps, depending on the provider you choose:

  • So-Net: visit a physical branch & apply
  • * Hi-Net: visit a Chunghwa Telecom branch and apply in person
  • Seed-Net: visit a physical branch & apply
  • Taiwan Mobile: visit a Taiwan Mobile store

* Chunghwa Telecom is Hi-Net’s parent company.


Internet Options for Short-Term Stays in Taiwan

If you’re staying in Taiwan for under a year, consider the following alternatives to using the internet:

  • iTaiwan Wi-Fi hotspots: public Wi-Fi hotspots the government offers free
  • Prepaid SIM cards: to avoid signing up for postpaid cellular plans
  • Internet cafés: NT$60 an hour
  • Coworking spaces: NT$2,500/mo. +
  • Coffee shops: Louisa & Starbucks

I recommend prepaid over postpaid plans because many cellular providers require Taiwanese guarantors. And some providers (cough LINE Mobile) won’t accept ARC numbers.

I pay NT$499 monthly to top up my prepaid data. It gives me a 22 GB soft data cap and more than 60 Mbps download speeds. Great for browsing and playing Pokémon GO.

I’m hesitant to recommend iTaiwan due to how unreliable the sign-up page is. Let me emphasize. Tapping the “iTaiwan” SSID will redirect you to an account registration page. Most of the time, this page never works.

Which prevents me (and everyone else) from signing up for the Wi-Fi and connecting.

Internet cafés are a great and affordable way to get drinks and Wi-Fi. But I prefer coffee shops. Though, it’s difficult to find seating most of the time.

Louisa and Starbucks don’t require accounts to log into their public Wi-Fi networks. But will likely require passwords. Find these around the store or ask the barista.

Coworking spaces provide desks, high-speed internet, and other amenities for a monthly or daily fee. Most coworking spaces are in Taipei, though.

Read this PSA before using public Wi-Fi.

USE protection. Public Wi-Fi tends to attract hackers and cybercriminals. Don’t let them get your information.

I use the following whenever logging into public Wi-Fi hotspots:

  • * Travel router: creates a private internet connection
  • DNS resolver (Cloudflare 1.1.1.1): hides some of your browsing activity from ISPs
  • Virtual private network (VPN): encrypts your IP address
  • 2-factor authentication on online accounts: helps prevent those who steal login information from hijacking your accounts

* Ensure you read the public Wi-Fi provider’s Terms of Service before using a portable router. Using these to create your own private network MAY violate their terms of service.

What if you want a more permanent internet solution in Taiwan?


Internet Providers in Taiwan

Here’s a list of the most popular internet providers in Taiwan [1 PDF link]:

Provider* Max. Speed** Starting PriceConnectivity Type
Hi-Net2.0–1,000 Mbps (DL)64 Kbps–600 Mbps (UL)NT$228–NT$2,399/mo.Fiber (FTTX) & ADSL
Taiwan Mobile30 MbpsNT$899/mo.Fixed wireless access (4G LTE)
So-Net16–300 Mbps (DL)3.0–100 Mbps (UL)NT$200–NT$450/mo.NT$2,400–NT$5,400/yr.Fiber (FTTB) & ADSL
Seednet16–500 Mbps (DL)3.0–250 Mbps (UL)NT$653–NT$1,799/mo.ADSL & Fiber (FTTH)
TS2128–512 Kbps (DL)512–2,048 Kbps (UL)$228–$2,800/mo. (USD)Satellite
Taiwan broadband internet providers compared.

* Various factors such as building materials, connectivity type (Wi-Fi vs. Ethernet) and more will affect your internet speed.

** Pricing may vary by city. These costs don’t account for discounts, pricing for new customers, and other fees.

Taiwan Mobile’s broadband plan includes up to 30 GB of data and requires a 2–3 year contract. They’ll reduce your speeds to 256 Kbps after exceeding the soft data cap. You can’t do much with these speeds.

At that point, I recommend using Taiwan Mobile’s 4G LTE home internet as a backup internet option.

Most providers will charge installation fees of up to NT$1,500.


Satellite Internet Providers in Taiwan

Taiwan doesn’t have any satellite internet providers. Chunghwa Telecom is “considering” a partnership with Starlink [2]. But there’s no other information.

The only internet provider I could find who provides satellite internet access in Taiwan is TS2 with their Eutelsat 70B SEA EVO satellites. This serves broadband satellite internet to the Asia Pacific region.


FAQs: Internet in Taiwan

Read on to find frequently asked questions about Taiwanese broadband internet providers.

What’s Taiwan’s Average Internet Speed?

Taiwan’s average download speed from fixed broadband internet is 124/54 Mbps (download/upload) [3].

Who Is the Fastest Internet Provider in Taiwan?

The fastest broadband internet provider in Taiwan is Chunghwa Telecom’s Hi-Net.


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About Theo

Theodore began first experienced the wonders of traveling when visiting Vietnam. Afterward, he went crazy and ventured to at least… More about Theo