Chunghwa Telecom bundles Google AI plans, aims for 200,000 paying subscribers in a year
Taiwan's largest carrier is selling Google's AI subscriptions through its phone and broadband plans, a sign that telecoms are becoming AI sales channels.
The short version
- First-stage goal: about 200,000 paying Google AI subscribers within roughly one year
- Over 200,000 customers already pay for Google One storage through Chunghwa
- Select 5G plans get Google AI Plus free for the first year
- Standalone yearly plans: AI Plus 2 TB at 264 a month, AI Pro 5 TB at 529 a month
- A Google experience zone is planned at a Taipei store for November to December
Why it matters
Most people meet AI through a bill or a store, not a developer website. When a carrier packages AI with phone and broadband plans, it can put these tools in front of many ordinary customers. The effect is regional for now, but the model could be copied elsewhere.
A carrier becomes an AI seller
Chunghwa Telecom announced a wider partnership with Google to sell Google AI Plus and Google AI Pro, as finance.technews.tw reported. These are paid subscriptions that bundle Google's Gemini AI tools with cloud storage.
The company's first-stage target is about 200,000 paying Google AI subscribers within roughly a year.
Built on an existing customer base
The relationship dates to 2015, when Chunghwa began billing Google Play purchases for customers. More than a million people have used that service. In 2022 it added Google One, Google's cloud storage subscription, which over 200,000 customers still pay for.
Executives want to move those storage customers, especially those on 100 GB and 200 GB plans, up to AI-enabled tiers. They also said the storage and AI groups overlap, so the two counts should not be simply added together.
What customers get
- Select 5G mobile plans include Google AI Plus free for the first year.
- Select broadband plans offer a free six-month trial.
- Standalone yearly contracts cost 264 a month for AI Plus (2 TB) and 529 a month for AI Pro (5 TB), priced in the local currency.
Teaching people to use it
Chunghwa's chief executive said consumers' understanding of AI lags behind the technology. He said the company, long focused on networks, will use its stores and customer base to help people apply AI to work, study and daily life.
A Google experience zone is planned for a Taipei store in November and December. Next year, two to four more sites may open in major cities and Hsinchu, though the number depends on talks with Google. Wearables and health services are possible future areas, but there is no timeline.
What to watch
- Whether Chunghwa reaches 200,000 paying Google AI subscribers within the year
- Whether other carriers copy the bundling model with AI providers
- Whether the partnership expands to wearables and health services
Try it
If you pay for cloud storage, check whether your provider or carrier now bundles AI features, and compare the bundle price with buying the plan directly.
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Listen to the daily showsFirst reported by finance.technews.tw · Read the original. Written by the SI Agent News Desk from the reporting above.Written with AI from the source above. Every number is checked against the source. Spot a mistake? Corrections.