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Far EasTone Taiwan Review: It is Super Fast (+Speedtests)

2020 was probably the start of a terrible phase in many people's lives – perhaps yours included.

For me, not as much as bad as most (it was probably the start of a great 20s for me… so far).

Before the world went on a lockdown, I was in Taiwan – a trip that was supposed to last only two months.

With infection rates being crazy in Europe and Australia being closed off to basically everyone (including its own citizens), I did not feel like going anyway.

Luckily, the Taiwanese government was kind enough to extend everyone's visa – even though I would normally have to leave after 90 days.

Because of this lenient policy, I stayed in Taiwan for an entire year.

As a result, I was able to test every Taiwanese SIM card, including Far EasTone, extensively.

Far EasTone Telecom SIM Card Held by Adu

I am talking about literal months of testing in nine different cities/counties – from New Taipei up north to Pingtung to the south – from Chiayi/Taichung on the west to Hualien/Taitung (literally meaning East Taiwan) on the east; I have been there.

I have to say that I usually do not get the opportunity to test SIM cards for a year (mostly because I want to visit another country anyway… so much to see!) – but with a lockdown, it seemed like I had no choice.

And you know I took that opportunity and went to the extreme – testing each SIM card at 101 test locations (to pay respect to the Taiwan 101 building (honestly, it was just a coincidence, lol)).

Adu from Phone Travel Wiz's collection of Taiwanese SIM Cards (Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, Far EasTone, T Star, GT Mobile & Ibon Mobile)
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So when I say that Far EasTone is super fast in the title, you can believe it truly is – especially when I compare it to five other Taiwanese SIM cards (Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, T Star Taiwan, GT Mobile Taiwan & Ibon Mobile).

But of course, I will explain why Far EasTone is good throughout this review.

Let's get started, shall we?

Far Eastone Taiwan Review by Phone Travel Wiz

Original publication: 24th of October 2022. Last updated: 15th of January 2024.


Table of Contents

Who is Far EasTone?

Far EasTone Taiwan Logo
© Far EasTone

Far EasTone, or 遠傳電信 if you want to be fancy, is the third-largest mobile operator in Taiwan.

It announced its merger with GT Mobile Taiwan (APT), Taiwan's smallest mobile operator, in February 2022.

Once the merger has been approved and completed, the GT Mobile Taiwan brand will be phased out.

But it is one of the best mobile operators in the country.

In Taiwan, you have five mobile operators and one Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO) offering prepaid services easily accessible to tourists:

  • Chunghwa Telecom (中華電信)
  • Taiwan Mobile (台灣大哥大)
  • Far EasTone (遠傳電信)
  • T Star Taiwan (台灣之星)
  • GT Mobile Taiwan (亞太電信)
  • Ibon Mobile (統一超商電信 – Far EasTone MVNO)

Just like Far EasTone and GT Mobile Taiwan, Taiwan Mobile and T Star Taiwan announced a merger.

For now, you have six options.

As you know, I tested the other four mobile operators + the sole MVNO during my one-year stay in Taiwan. You can read them here: Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, T Star Taiwan & GT Mobile Taiwan + Ibon Mobile.

Buying a SIM Card in Taiwan Guide (logos of Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, Far EasTone, T Star, GT Mobile & Ibon Mobile)

Let's talk about Far EasTone's coverage first, after these quick frequency details:

  • 2G: N/A – shut down in 2017
  • 3G: 2100 MHz
  • 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 28), 1800 MHz (Band 3), 2100 MHz (Band 1) & 2600 MHz (Band 7)
  • 5G NR: 2100 MHz (n1), 3500 MHz (n78 – shared with GT Mobile Taiwan) & 28 GHz (n257)
  • VoLTE: Yes
  • VoWiFi: Yes

Here you have Far EasTone's APN settings:

  • Name: Far EasTone
  • APN: internet

Note: leave anything not mentioned above untouched.

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Far EasTone Coverage + My Experience

You can have a mobile operator providing you 1 Gbps download speeds.

But it will be useless if it covers only one street in Taiwan.

So, how is Far EasTone's coverage?

Regarding general availability, Far EasTone has the best availability, with an availability score of 99.2%.

Ahead of Taiwan Mobile (99%), Chungha Telecom and T Star Taiwan (98.9%) & GT Mobile Taiwan (98.2%).

Taiwan Opensignal 4G LTE Availability

But with score of more than 98%, all Taiwanese mobile operators have excellent availability anyway.

When looking at 5G NR availability, Far EasTone has the best availability (38.7%). Ahead of Taiwan Mobile (23.3%), Chunghwa Telecom (22.9%) & T Star Taiwan (21.8%).

If you wonder why GT Mobile Taiwan is not on the list, Far EasTone and GT Mobile Taiwan share the same 5G NR network @ 3500 MHz (n78 – ahead of the merger) – so there you go 😜.

When we look at 5G NR reach, Far EasTone is the best, with a reach score of 6.9 (on a 10-point scale).

Ahead of Taiwan Mobile (6), Chunghwa Telecom (5.3) & T Star Taiwan (4.3).

So far, I have been talking about coverage from other reports, but what was my coverage experience with Far EasTone?

It was excellent, honestly – I had nothing to complain about.

Unlike most countries I visit, I also spend much time in non-touristy areas in Taiwan (because I had a full year here).

In most cases, I was still connected to 4G/LTE.

However, expect your phone to switch to 3G or have no reception at all when you are on the train (especially on the high-speed train (HSR)).

There is one exception: Pingtung and Taitung counties.

If you take the train from the west to the east, the train will go through a few mountains (the view is amazing, by the way).

You will barely have reception in these sections – and it starts from Fangshan until Taimali (which takes 1:30 hours to 2:30 hours, depending on the train you take).

Pingtung to Taitung by Train

Yes, there are other stations between those Fangshan and Taimali.

But there is a big chance your train will not stop at most of them, meaning your phone does not have enough time to reconnect to the network.

And even though the train leaves the tunnels every now and then, you still will not have enough time to reconnect to the network.

I cannot speak of how reception will be when you take the car from Pingtung to Taitung (because I could not drive back then).

It may be better than on the train because most of the roads do not go through tunnels.

Below is Far EasTone's coverage map produced by Speedtest on the mainland and Penghu County (the island on the left/west of the mainland):

Below are the coverage maps on the Kinmen Islands (Jincheng – on the left) and the Matsu Islands (Lienchiang + Dongju, Nangan & Xiju – on the right) produced by Speedtest:

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How to Get a Far EasTone SIM Card & Prices

I would discourage you from buying a SIM card at airports in most countries.

Either becaue of (overly) expensive tourist SIM cards are sold there, or the salespeople jack up the prices with high “minimum top-ups” or because they simply can.

While getting a SIM card at the airport can be convenient, especially when you arrive late or need to be connected as soon as possible, it is often (way) cheaper to buy SIM cards in town.

In Taiwan, however, things are a bit different – I recommend buying Taiwanese SIM cards, including Far EasTone, at the airport.

I would almost demand you to do so… but that would be too pushy 😜.

Not only are the SIM cards sold at airports of amazing value, but it can also be a challenge to get a prepaid SIM card as a tourist (visa-free or tourist visa).

That is because most stores either do not deal with prepaid SIM cards or do not deal with tourists (not that they would shoo you away, but they can only assist those with a (temporary) resident visa, like students).

So, what is up with these airport SIM cards that I am so hyped about?

Far EasTone SIM cards sold at airports feature truly unlimited data with no speed restrictions.

Yeah, right… unlimited? Just like in Malaysia, where “unlimited” means “unlimited” until you hit the 3 GB/10 GB/30 GB Fair Use quota?

No… actually unlimited – no fair use limit or download speed cap.

How am I so sure? Because I used Far EasTone (and Ibon Mobile – a Far EasTone MVNO) in ten counties (state, province, parish, territory, region – you get it) and never experienced any data or speed caps.

Ibon Mobile has full access to the Far EasTone network (in fact, I managed to get the fastest 4G/LTE speed test results ever with Ibon Mobile (until 2022). I used one Far EasTone SIM card and one Ibon Mobile SIM card, but I merged the results into one because they would have been the same anyway.

I used more than 100 GB with Far EasTone and experienced no data speed drops or being cut off the network.

Yeah, this puts all those countries with “unlimited” data plans or SIM cards to shame (like Malaysia, smh 🙄).

Okay, that is enough hyping up – let's go through the process of buying a Far EasTone SIM card.

First, you need to know that Far EasTone has stores at Taoyuan – Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) only (so not even at Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH) or Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA).

This applies to T Star Taiwan and GT Mobile Taiwan – Taiwan Mobile is also available at Kaohsiung International Airport (KHH).

The same applies to Chunghwa Telecom, but it also has booths at Taichung International Airport (RMQ) and Taipei Songshan Airport (TSA).

While I know an airport like Tainan Airport also has international connections, it is not considered an international airport by the Republic of China Civil Aeronautics Administration… and no SIM cards are sold there anyway 🤪.

At Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, you have at least three booths selling Far EasTone SIM cards.

Just know that the resellers sell Far EasTone SIM cards for the same prices Far EasTone retailers.

Speaking of prices… how much do Far EasTone SIM cards actually cost?

Far EasTone SIM cards are sold between 300 NTD to 3200 NTD.

Far EasTone has two variants for the tourist SIM cards: 4G Tourist SIM & 5G Tourist SIM.

The following eight Far EasTone 4G Tourist SIM cards are available:

PriceSIM CardCall CreditDataValidity
300 NTD4G Plan A100 NTDUnlimited3 days
300 NTD4G Plan B50 NTDUnlimited5 days
400 NTD4G Plan D100 NTDUnlimited7 days
400 NTD4G Plan E50 NTDUnlimited8 days
500 NTD4G Plan C300 NTDUnlimited5 days
500 NTD4G Plan F100 NTDUnlimited10 days
700 NTD4G Plan G100 NTDUnlimited15 days
1000 NTD4G Plan H430 NTDUnlimited30 days

The 4G unlimited SIM cards include truly unlimited data, including unlimited tethering (mobile hotspot), making Taiwanese one of my favorite tourist SIM cards worldwide.

Far EasTone Taiwan 4G LTE Tourist SIM Cards

But… more plans are available, which are not advertised anywhere else, except for at the airport.

If you plan on staying in Taiwan for more than 30 days, these (4G/LTE) plans are also available to you:

PriceDataValidity
1800 NTDUnlimited90 days
2800 NTDUnlimited145 days
3200 NTDUnlimited180 days

So I had known the world would be on a lockdown from March 2020 on, I would have gone for the 180-day SIM card 🗿.

This is also a good moment to inform you that Far EasTone tourist SIM cards cannot be extended (not even by topping up).

So if you know you want to explore Taiwan for several months, it is recommended (and cheaper) to go for a multi-month SIM card outright instead of buying multiple short-term ones.

The following three Far EasTone 5G Tourist SIM cards are available:

PriceSIM CardCall CreditDataValidity
500 NTD5G Plan A50NTDUnlimited3 days
600 NTD5G Plan B100 NTDUnlimited5 days
800 NTD5G Plan C150 NTDUnlimited7 days

Just like the 4G SIM cards, you get truly unlimited data with the 5G SIM cards, but tethering (mobile hotspot) is limited (3 GB, 5 GB & 7 GB, respectively).

Far EasTone Taiwan 5G NR Tourist SIM Cards

Back when I was still in Taiwan, Far EasTone was not selling any 5G NR-enabled SIM cards.

So I have no experience with them (do not worry – I will be in Taiwan again in 2023; you know I will try out the 5G NR SIM cards 😏).

T Star Taiwan already did, surprisingly, but I did not have a 5G NR-capable phone, so I did not bother.

Be aware that while Far EasTone has eSIMs, they are currently not offered to prepaid customers (including the Far EasTone tourist SIM cards).

But if you want to learn about all recommended eSIM options for Taiwan, which many Phone Travel Wiz can vouch for too, check out my Taiwan comparison guide.

Buying an eSIM for Taiwan Guide (logos of SimOptions, Nomad, Asialink, Discover+, Xie Xie, Holafly, AIS, Alosim & Airalo)

When you ask for your Far EasTone SIM card, you will be asked for your passport.

That is because SIM card registration is mandatory, as mandated by law.

  • Find out which countries have SIM card registration regulations and what is required from you (lookup tool)
SIM Card Registration Worldwide Tool by Phone Travel Wiz

A photocopy of your passport will be made, and your personal details will be filled into the system.

Once the salesperson is done, they will ask you to sign a document (in traditional Chinese characters).

Taiwan Mobile Contract for Tourist SIM Cards 1
This is the contract I signed with Taiwan mobile

Afterward, the salesperson will ask for your phone to activate the SIM card and set up the APN settings.

Confirming if your SIM cards work is opening an app (Google Chrome/Safari or YouTube).

So if you normally watch unsavory videos or forgot to change profiles, this is your reminder to do so to not embarrass yourself (I am not speaking of personal experience, but I can already see some… interesting things happening 🗿).

And you are off to go!

Now, let's say you do not care about tourist SIM cards and unlimited data – can you get a regular Taiwan SIM card at in town, such as a grocery store, convenience store, or Far EasTone?

Yes… if you are not a tourist.

When the salesperson checks your passport before photocopying it, they check the entry stamp (and visa) in your passport.

If you have a visa-exempt stamp, like mine below, or a tourist visa, you cannot get a regular Far EasTone SIM card.

Dutch Passport with Taiwanses Entry, Extension & Exit Stamps 1

Trust me – I tried. I was in Taiwan for a year.

I was based in Tainan.

One day, I decided I bike to all mobile operator stores in a seven-kilometer radius (50+, including Far EasTone).

[IMG]

Only three stores could sell regular SIM cards to me (Far EasTone, GT Mobile & 7-Eleven (for Ibon Mobile)).

A FarEasTone salesperson was trying to scam me by charging 1000 NTD for a plan that is usually 300 NTD.

The GT Mobile salesperson had to make five calls to figure out what to do, costing me 1.5 hours.

In the case of 7-Eleven's Ibon Mobile, most stores do not have SIM cards in stock (even though the website claims so).

Even then, the staff needs to have time to help you out (most 7-Elevens are busy at all times, except for at night).

Registration takes about 30 minutes too (which involved a few calls too because I was “missing” an extension stamp) – it took me an hour.

You will notice that I have not yet mentioned Chunghwa Telecom and Taiwan Mobile.

The thing is… it was relatively easy to get a SIM card at a Chunghwa Telecom store.

Many Chunghwa Telecom stores are willing to deal with tourists… but only to sell tourist SIM cards.

And the same applies to Taiwan Mobile, although even more of their stores sell tourist SIM cards – but they are 100 NTD more than at the airport.

One Taiwan Mobile staff member tried to sign me up for a prepaid student plan (a bit cheaper than tourist SIM cards). After making about four calls and consulting with the on-store manager, it was impossible because they could not bend on not having a student visa (but I appreciated her trying!).

Most Far EasTone stores do not deal with tourists, but mostly because they do not deal with prepaid customers.

In fact, when I went to Far EasTone for prepaid SIM cards, most told me to head to Taiwan Mobile instead.

Except for the one that tried to scam me out of 700 NTD 😒.

Anyway, once your SIM card has been activated, you are good to go.

But once your SIM card has been activated, you are good to go.

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Far EasTone Plans, Bundles & Offers

You do not have to worry about adding any plans because… you cannot add any plans.

And that is actually a good thing because you get truly unlimited data with Far EasTone.

The thing is, Far EasTone does have regular prepaid plans, as shown in the screenshot below.

[IMG]

That screenshot is of no help if you cannot read Chinese – lol – but Far EasTone offers unlimited data plans to regular prepaid customers as well and plans with a data cap.

The difference between these plans and the Far EasTone tourist SIM cards is that the regular plans extend the validity of the SIM card.

Tourist SIM cards cannot be extended – not even when you try to add a regular plan (or even by topping up).

I am not sure if adding a regular plan would succeed on a tourist SIM card (I did not try, and I suggest you do not either 🤪).

But if you add credit and do not use it before the SIM card's expiry, it will be lost – so be aware.

So get a SIM card for the entirety of your stay, and you will be good to go.

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Far EasTone Top-Up, Recharge & Balance Check

Far EasTone top-up vouchers are sold in convenience stores, 7-Eleven, FamilyMart & Hi-Life, throughout Taiwan.

During normal times, you cannot top up Far EasTone tourist SIM cards, even if you have exhausted your credit. But during the pandemic where having a local phone number was required for quarantine, those with the Plan E, Plan G & Plan H tourists SIM cards can recharge their SIM cards.

While you officially can also top-up your SIM card in Far EasTone stores, most cannot or will not deal with prepaid customers (they will tell you to go to a convenience store instead. But some of them are nice enough to write instructions in Chinese so that the convenience store salesperson can help you out).

Here is an instruction video on how to purchase a Far EasTone top-up vouchers from a 7-Eleven Ibon machine:

To top up your Far EasTone SIM card, call 777 and follow the instructions.

Send a blank SMS (or whatever, like a dot, if your phone does not allow you to send a blank SMS) or call 1312 to check your Far EasTone balance.

Note: Far EasTone tourist SIM cards cannot be extended, not even when you top up your SIM card.

It will expire at the predefined expiry date, and you will need a new SIM card if you still want to be connected.

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Far EasTone Speed Test Results (in Hualien, Kaohsiung, Luodong, New Taipei City, Taichung, Taipei, Tainan, Taitung, Taoyuan & Yilan)

Alright, now it is time to talk about the speeds you can expect with Far EasTone after covering all the other essential topics like coverage.

But before I share my test results in Hualien, Kaohsiung, Luodong, New Taipei City, Taichung, Taipei, Tainan, Taitung, Taoyuan & Yilan counties, I want to set the stage first and make a small comparison with Far EasTone's competition.

The insights I give you are from 2022, while I did the tests back in 2020.

Far EasTone is regarded by Speedtest as the second-fastest mobile operator in Taiwan in Q1-Q2 of 2022.

With a median download speed of 64.48 Mbps, Far EasTone is ahead of Taiwan Mobile (48.07 Mbps), T Star Taiwan (35.40 Mbps) & GT Mobile Taiwan (18.58 Mbps), but behind Chunghwa Telecom (71.39 Mbps).

When we look at 5G NR, Far EasTone is also the second-fastest.

With a median download speed of 310.83 Mbps, Far EasTone is faster than Taiwan Mobile (276.38 Mbps), GT Mobile (264.20 Mbps) & T Star (139.82 Mbps), but slower than Chunghwa Telecom (415.45 Mbps).

As mentioned earlier, 5G NR is available to prepaid customers too.

However, the validity is limited to 7 days, unlike the 4G/LTE variants, which can be valid for up to 180 days.

Okay, those were valuable insights – let's talk about my speed test results now.

As I said, I did speed tests with the Speedtest app in nine cities/counties, which is way more than most of the testing I did (usually in just one or two cities, lmao).

So I will go county to county, allowing you to just read the results of the city/cities/county/counties you plan on visiting.

For reference, I consider an average download speed of 25 Mbps and an average of 10 Mbps upload speed fast enough.

Preferably, download speeds should be 100 Mbps+ on 4G/LTE… but we are not there yet 🗿.

But why these averages?

A download speed of more than 25 Mbps is enough to video stream content @ 4k resolution.

Social media sites that allow for live streaming, like Facebook Live, recommend an upload speed of at least 10 Mbps.

So, that is why – but that does not mean that a download speed of less than 100 Mbps excited me 😏.

Far EasTone Speed Test Results in Hualien County (Hualien City & Xincheng Township)

Hualien County Flag

Hualian County (花蓮縣) is the third-smallest county on the mainland and the sixth-smallest county in Taiwan.

While the county has lovely beaches and mountains for exploration or swimming… it is certainly not an exciting place to be 🗿.

Adu from Phone Travel Wiz in a Spring in Hualien City

Anyway, I stayed in Hualien City and visited a few beaches in Xincheng Township (新城鄉 – but I had to turn back because scary clouds were heading in my direction).

Let's see how Far EasTone performed in Hualien County:

Far EasTone Taiwan Speed Test Results in Hualien City & Xincheng Township

Quite fast speeds in rural Taiwan!

In fact, Far EasTone had the second-fastest download speed and the fastest upload speed in Hualien City.

Far EasTone Download at 7-Eleven Fuqian Road in Hualien (139.25 Mbps)
7-Eleven Fuqian Road Hualien

I had an average download speed of 65.98 Mbps and a median download speed of 71.21 Mbps with Far EasTone; it passed the 4K video streaming test in Hualien City.

Far EasTone Upload at Haulien Pier in Hualien (37.58 Mbps)
Haulien Pier Hualien

The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Hualien City – Far EasTone had an average upload speed of 28.78 Mbps and a median upload speed of 33.90 Mbps

Far EasTone's slowest download speed was at Dongdamen Night Market (1.36 Mbps).

Far EasTone Download at Dongdamen Night Market in Hualien (1.36 Mbps)
Dongdamen Night Market Hualien

This was way too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps), which resulted in Far EasTone having worst the performance at this test location (Taiwan Mobile was the second-worst (12.53 Mbps)).

This was the same location where Far EasTone had its worst upload speed (3.75 Mbps – faster than its download speed, surprisingly).

Far EasTone Upload at Qixingtan Seaside Park (Xincheng Township - Hualine County) in Hualien (5.27 Mbps)
Qixingtan Seaside Park (Xincheng Township – Hualine County) Hualien

Unsurprisingly, Far EasTone has the worst performance here compared to its competitors (T Star Taiwan was the second-worst (11.35 Mbps)).


Far EasTone Speed Test Results in Kaohsiung City

Kaohsiung City Flag

Kaohsiung City (高雄市) is Taiwan's second-largest city behind New Taipei.

Yes… Taipei is not even the largest – that surprised me too.

Kaohsiung City is the third-largest special municipality in the country.

It is also one of the more exciting cities in Taiwan – there is so much to do, AND it is cheaper than Taipei.

Adu from Phone Travel Wiz in Port Kaohsiung

Let's see how Far EasTone performed in Kaohsiung City:

Far EasTone Taiwan Speed Test Results in Kaohsiung City

Those speeds can be considered as blazing fast!

In fact, Far EasTone had the third-fastest download speed (behind Chunghwa Telecom (97.28 Mbps) and Taiwan Mobile (86.03 Mbps)) but the fastest upload speed in Kaohsiung City (Chunghwa Telecom was slightly behind (26.80 Mbps)).

Far EasTone Download at Kaohsiung Station in Kaohsiung (188.09 Mbps)
Kaohsiung Station Kaohsiung

I had an average download speed of 77.63 Mbps and a median download speed of 67.38 Mbps with Far EasTone; it passed the 4K video streaming test in Kaoshiung City.

Far EasTone Upload at Liuhe Night Market  in Kaohsiung (36.42 Mbps)
Liuhe Night Market Kaohsiung

The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Kaohsiung City – Far EasTone had an average upload speed of 27.25 Mbps and a median upload speed of 29.02 Mbps

Far EasTone's slowest download speed was at Weiwuying Station Exit 6 – 衛武營站 in Fengshan District (25.76 Mbps).

Far EasTone Download at Weiwuying Station Exit 6 in Kaohsiung (25.76 Mbps)
Weiwuying Station Exit 6 Kaohsiung

This was just fast enough to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps), but Taiwan Mobile (37.30 Mbps) and Chunghwa Telecom (63.73 Mbps) were faster.

Far EasTone had its worst upload speed performance at National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts – 衛武營國家藝術文化中心 樹冠大廳 in Fengshan District (14.38 Mbps, fast enough to pass the HD live streaming test (minimum of 10 Mbps)).

Far EasTone Upload at National Kaohsiung Center For The Arts in Kaohsiung (14.38 Mbps)
National Kaohsiung Center For The Arts Kaohsiung

Far EasTone was faster than T Star Taiwan (9.12 Mbps) and GT Mobile Taiwan (4.83 Mbps).


Far EasTone Speed Test Results in New Taipei City

New Taipei City Flag

New Taipei City (新北市) is Taiwan's largest city and special municipality.

You may wonder why that is not Taipei… and I cannot answer that 🗿.

Often, you will not even know if you are still in Taipei or New Taipei City, so it does not matter anyway.

Adu from Phone Travel Wiz at Treasure Hill in New Taipei City

Let's see how Far EasTone performed in New Taipei City:

Lover's Bridge (Tamsui District) in New Taipei City


Far EasTone Speed Test Results in Taichung City

Taichung City Flag

Taichung City (臺中市) is the second-largest special municipality and the third-largest city in Taiwan.

If you translate Taichung, it means Central Taiwan… even though it is in the west 🗿.

Unfortunately, there is no city called West Taiwan (that would be Taixi or something).

Adu from Phone Travel Wiz in Taichung City

Unlike the four most populous cities, you certainly want to use a moped if you want to travel around Taichung because everything is spread out.

Back then, I did not have a driver's license yet… and cycling for 30 minutes from one attraction to another in the sun was no fun 💀.

And before you asked why I did not take the bus, they like to take unnecessary detours in Taichung for some reason.

The new Green Line MRT is a nice addition, but it does not really go to the city center… so yeah 🤷🏿‍♂️.

Anyway, let's see how Far EasTone performed in Taichung City:

Far EasTone Taiwan Speed Test Results in Taichung City

Another city with relatively fast speeds!

In fact, Far EasTone had the second-fastest download speed (behind Chunghwa Telecom (94.75 Mbps) and third-fastest upload speed in Taichung City (behind Taiwan Mobile (23.08 Mbps) and Chunghwa Telecom (26.73 Mbps)).

Far EasTone Download at Miyahara Taichung (Central District) in Taichung (158.93 Mbps)
Miyahara Taichung (Central District) Taichung

I had an average download speed of 67.56 Mbps and a median download speed of 39.25 Mbps with Far EasTone; it passed the 4K video streaming test in Taichung City.

Far EasTone Upload at Calligraphy Greenway (North District) in Taichung (39.37 Mbps)
Calligraphy Greenway (North District) Taichung

The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Taichung City – Far EasTone had an average upload speed of 20.81 Mbps and a median upload speed of 20.46 Mbps

Far EasTone's slowest download speed was at a 7-Eleven Xuefu Road in South District (22.86 Mbps).

Far EasTone Download at 7-Eleven Xuefu Road (South District) in Taichung (22.86 Mbps)
7-Eleven Xuefu Road (South District) Taichung

This was just slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).

Moreover, Far EasTone had the third-best performance at this test location (ahead of Taiwan Mobile (16.71 Mbps) and T Star Taiwan (12.04 Mbps)).

Far EasTone's worst upload performance was at the Painted Animation Lane in West District (2.34 Mbps).

Far EasTone Upload at Painted Animation Lane (West District) in Taichung (2.34 Mbps)
Painted Animation Lane (West District) Taichung

This was different at the National Taichung Theater in Xitun District, where Far EasTone had its worst upload speed performance (8.52 Mbps, while an upload speed of 10 Mbps was needed to pass the HD live streaming test).

Unsurprisingly, Far EasTone had the worst performance at this test location (with GT Mobile Taiwan being the second-worst (5.54 Mbps)).


Far EasTone Speed Test Results in Tainan City

Tainan City Flag

Tainan City (臺南市) is the smallest special municipality and the sixth-largest city in Taiwan.

Tainan was my base during my one-year stay in Taiwan.

I do not remember why I chose Tainan (it may have been recommended by my boyfriend), but I loved it there.

It is apparently the best city for food, but it is also where old people like to live, according to my young Taiwanese friends.

Adu from Phone Travel Wiz in front of the Chimei Museum in Tainan City

At least drivers do not try to intentionally hit you when you are on a bike (unlike Hualien City 💀).

Let's see how Far EasTone performed in Tainan City:

Far EasTone Taiwan Speed Test Results in Tainan City

These are nice and fast speeds!

In fact, Far EasTone had the second-fastest download speed (behind Chunghwa Telecom (115.97 Mbps) and third-fastest upload speed in Tainan City (behind Taiwan Mobile (27.30 Mbps) and Chunghwa Telecom (27.91 Mbps)).

I had an average download speed of 85.45 Mbps and a median download speed of 67.73 Mbps with Far EasTone; it passed the 4K video streaming test in Tainan City.

Far EasTone Upload at Chunghwa Telecom Store Huaping Road in Tainan (47.59 Mbps)
Chunghwa Telecom Store Huaping Road Tainan

The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Tainan City – Far EasTone had an average upload speed of 20.29 Mbps and a median upload speed of 18.35 Mbps

Far EasTone's slowest download speed was at Dongning Sports Park – 東寧運動公園 in East District – 東區 (4.32 Mbps).

This was too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps), and Far EasTone had the worst performance at this test location (GT Mobile Taiwan was the second-slowest (9.72 Mbps)).

Far EasTone had its worst upload speed performance in a 7-Eleven on Yufeng Street – 裕豐街 in East District – 東區 (3.59 Mbps).

Far EasTone Upload at 7-Eleven Yufeng Street in Tainan (3.59 Mbps)
7-Eleven Yufeng Street Tainan

Only T Star Taiwan was slower (2.04 Mbps).


Far EasTone Speed Test Results in Taipei City

Taipei City Flag

Taipei City (臺北市) is Taiwan's fourth-largest special municipality and city.

Yes… the capital city is not the largest in the country.

Not that that is uncommon… it is just unexpected 🤔.

But Taipei certainly has the most and best attractions in the country.

Adu from Phone Travel Wiz in Taipei

Let's see how Far EasTone performed in Taipei City:

Far EasTone Taiwan Speed Test Results in Taipei City

Fast speeds in Taipei? You did not expect less, right?

In fact, Far EasTone had the second-fastest download (behind Chunghwa Telecom (105.52 Mbps) but the fastest upload speed in Taipei City (ahead of Chunghwa Telecom (27.76 Mbps)).

Far EasTone Download at Taipei 101World Trade Center MRT Station in Taipei (325.35 Mbps)
Taipei 101World Trade Center MRT Station Taipei

I had an average download speed of 102.65 Mbps and a median download speed of 80.79 Mbps with Far EasTone; it passed the 4K video streaming test in Taipei City.

Far EasTone Upload at Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place A11 - Floor B1 in Taipei (55.06 Mbps)
Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Xinyi Place A11 – Floor B1 Taipei

The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Taipei City – Far EasTone had an average upload speed of 28.15 Mbps and a median upload speed of 23.78 Mbps.

Far EasTone's slowest download speed was at Sanuki Honka in Songshan District (13.9 Mbps).

Far EasTone Download at Sanuki Honka in Taipei (13.9Mbps)
Sanuki Honka Taipei

This was too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).

But Far EasTone was the second-fastest performing mobile operator at this test location (behind GT Mobile Taiwan (42.58 Mbps)).

In Airbnb Fuyang Street in Da'an District, Far EasTone had its worst upload speed performance (1.76 Mbps).

Far EasTone Upload at Airbnb Fuyang Street in Taipei (1.76 Mbps)
Airbnb Fuyang Street Taipei

This was still fast enough to pass the HD live streaming test (minimum of 10 Mbps).

But Far EasTone was only faster than T Star Taiwan at this test location (12.02 Mbps).


Far EasTone Speed Test Results in Taitung County

Taitung County Flag

Taitung County (臺東縣) is the smallest county on the mainland and the fourth-smallest in Taiwan.

And I am not surprised – there is not much to do in Taitung City besides enjoying the bit of nature it has (Liyushan Park (鯉魚山公園) and Taitung Forest Park (臺東森林公園)).

But I do have to say that The Flowing Lake (台東森林公園活水湖) is stunning.

Taitung City Skyline

And with the airport being so close to the city, you will get rudely woken up between 6:00 and 7:00 because fighter jets like to fly around 🤬.

Let's see how Far EasTone performed in Taitung County:

Far EasTone Taiwan Speed Test Results in Taitung City

Fast speeds for rural Taiwan!

In fact, Far EasTone had the second-fastest download speed (behind Chunghwa Telecom (110.45 Mbps) and third-fastest upload speed in Taitung City (behind Taiwan Mobile (23.28 Mbps) and Chunghwa Telecom (24.32 Mbps)).

Far EasTone Download at Airbnb Nanchang Street in Taitung (183.87 Mbps)
Airbnb Nanchang Street Taitung

I had an average download speed of 91.36 Mbps and a median download speed of 82.93 Mbps with Far EasTone; it passed the 4K video streaming test in Taitung City.

Far EasTone Upload at Taitung City Bus Station in Taitung (37.80 Mbps)
Taitung City Bus Station Taitung

The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Taitung City – Far EasTone had an average upload speed of 17.81 Mbps and a median upload speed of 17.95 Mbps

Far EasTone's slowest download speed was at Taitung Night Market (17.79 Mbps).

Far EasTone Download at Taitung Night Market in  Taitung (17.79 Mbps)
Taitung Night Market Taitung

This was too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).

Far EasTone had the third-best download speed performance at this test location (behind Chunghwa Telecom (18.59 Mbps) and GT Mobile Taiwan (59.98 Mbps)).

Far EasTone had its worst upload speed at Flowing Lake Taitung (1.63 Mbps, while an upload speed of 10 Mbps was needed to pass the HD live streaming test).

Far EasTone Upload at Flowing Lake Taitung in  Taitung (1.63 Mbps)
Flowing Lake Taitung Taitung

Far EasTone had the worst performance at this test location (together with GT Mobile Taiwan (also 1.63 Mbps)).


Far EasTone Speed Test Results in Taoyuan City

Taoyuan City Flag

Taoyuan City (桃園市) is the second-smallest special municipality but the fifth-largest city in Taiwan.

And if you think those are reasons enough to visit the city – do not bother; it is boring.

When I told my Taiwanese friends that I would go to Taoyuan, every single one asked why and tried to discourage me.

The only reason one wants to go to Taoyuan is to go to the airport and leave the country – not for fun.

Canceled flights at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE) in August 2020

Luckily, I was in Taoyuan for an afternoon only as a break from Taipei to Taichung, but even that afternoon felt like a waste – a boring place 💀.

Let's see how Far EasTone performed in Taoyuan City:


Far EasTone Taiwan Speed Test Results in Taoyuan City

The fastest Far EasTone download speed (438.25 Mbps) was achieved in Taoyuan City (and was my record speed until 2022)!

Far EasTone had the fastest download and upload speed in Taoyuan City.

Far EasTone Download at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1 MRT Platform in Taoyuan (438.25 Mbps)
Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1 MRT Platform Taoyuan

I had an average download speed of 190.39 Mbps and a median download speed of 129.52 Mbps with Far EasTone; it passed the 4K video streaming test in Taoyuan City.

Far EasTone Upload  at FE21' Mall 9th Floor in Taoyuan (56.53 Mbps)
FE21′ Mall 9th Floor Taoyuan

The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Taoyuan City – Far EasTone had an average upload speed of 46.92 Mbps and a median upload speed of 48.74 Mbps.

Far EasTone's slowest download speed was at Taoyuan TRA Station on platform 1 in Taoyuan District (45.84 Mbps).

Far EasTone Download at Taoyuan TRA Station Platform 1 in Taoyuan (45.84 Mbps)
Taoyuan TRA Station Platform 1 Taoyuan

This was fast enough to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps), but Far EasTone had the third-best performance at this test location (behind Taiwan Mobile (39.15 Mbps) and T Star Taiwan (28.13 Mbps)).

At Yangming Sports Park in Taoyuan District, Far EasTone had its worst upload performance (33.9 Mbps).

Far EasTone Upload  at Yangming Sports Park in Taoyuan (33.39 Mbps)
Yangming Sports Park Taoyuan

It was fast enough to pass the HD live streaming test (minimum of 10 Mbps).

And only Chunghwa Telecom was faster than Far EasTone (46.95 Mbps).

Far EasTone Speed Test Results in Yilan County (Luodong Township, Yilan City & Yuanshan Township)

Yilan County Flag

Yilan County (宜蘭縣) is the eighth-largest county in Taiwan.

I stayed in Luodong Township (羅東), which is not bad (but I would not recommend anyone going there unless you are nearby).

Yilan City is not too bad either – but it is far from exciting.

I only stayed in the area because the commute from Hualien to Taipei would take too long in one go (it is much faster nowadays).

Yilan City

Let's see how Far EasTone performed in Yilan County:

Far EasTone Taiwan Speed Test Results in Luodong Township, Yilan City & Yuanshan Township

Blazing-fast speeds in rural Yilan County!

In fact, Far EasTone had the second-fastest download speed (behind Chunghwa Telecom (70.37 Mbps)) but the fastest upload speed in Yilan County.

Far EasTone Download at Yilan Station in Luodong & Yilan (337.02 Mbps)
Yilan Station Luodong & Yilan

I had an average download speed of 125.61 Mbps and a median download speed of 101.25 Mbps with Far EasTone; it passed the 4K video streaming test in Yilan County.

Far EasTone Upload at Zhongzheng Road Bridge Section 3 in Luodong & Yilan (52.11 Mbps)
Zhongzheng Road Bridge Section 3 Luodong & Yilan

The same counts for the HD live streaming test in Yilan County – Far EasTone had an average upload speed of 35.24 Mbps and a median upload speed of 35.72 Mbps.

Far EasTone's slowest download speed was at at Luodong Station (22.9 Mbps).

Far EasTone Download at Luodong Station in Luodong & Yilan (22.9 Mbps)
Luodong Station Luodong & Yilan

This was too slow to pass the 4K video streaming test (minimum of 25 Mbps).

At Luna Plaza Yilan in Taoyuan, Far EasTone had its worst upload performance (18.27 Mbps).

Far EasTone Upload at Luna Plaza Yilan in Luodong & Yilan (22.25 Mbps)
Luna Plaza Yilan Luodong & Yilan

All of Far EasTone's competitors were (way) faster (with T Star Taiwan being the second-slowest (11.35 Mbps)).

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My Overall Experience with Far EasTone – Is It Any Good?

I would recommend Far EasTone, and it would be one of my top recommendations for anyone wanting to buy a Taiwanese SIM card.

Phone Travel Wiz Approved Seal

Getting a Far EasTone SIM card was straightforward, and activation was quick.

With one of the best 4G/LTE availability and reach, you will have reception almost everywhere in Taiwan (but do not expect any coverage around and in the mountains).

The same can be said about Far EasTone's 5G NR network.

Just like all Taiwanese SIM cards, Far EasTone offers truly unlimited data-featured prepaid SIM cards to tourists, valid for 3 days to 180 days.

And when I say unlimited data, you can also use your phone as a hotspot (tether – for other phones or laptops) with no restrictions.

With the exception of the 5G Traveler SIM cards – they feature unlimited data too, but hotspot data is restricted to up to 7 GB).

I also had fast speeds with Far EasTone.

In fact, I had the fastest download speeds in Taoyuan and Yilan (Chunghwa Telecom was the fastest in Hualien, Kaohsiung, New Taipei City, Taichung, Tainan, Taipei & Taitung).

When taking all the 101 speed tests into account, I had an average download speed of 93.73 Mbps and a median download speed of 71.37 Mbps with Far EasTone.

And remember, this was on 4G/LTE only – speeds will be much faster on 5G NR (which I will try out in 2023, so stay tuned!).

The fastest download speed I managed to get with Far EasTone was at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport Terminal 1 at the MRT Platform (438.25 Mbps).

And that was the fastest 4G/LTE speed I had ever gotten until 2022 (and you know, I tried out many other SIM cards in those two years!).

Even though this was way faster than Chunghwa Telecom's record (287.33 Mbps), Chunghwa Telecom had a faster average download speed (100.87 Mbps).

And that is because even though you can get crazy fast speeds with Far EasTone, it can be extremely slow in select locations, affecting its average and median speeds.

Even then, Far EasTone is (way) faster than Taiwan Mobile, T Star Taiwan & GT Mobile Taiwan.

With extensive coverage, truly unlimited data plans & blazing-fast speeds, there is nothing crazy to complain about Far EasTone.

Far EasTone Taiwan SIM Card Held by Adu from Phone Travel Wiz
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Taiwanese SIM Card Reviews

As mentioned earlier, I also tried out Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, T Star Taiwan, GT Mobile Taiwan & Ibon Mobile when I was in Taiwan.

You should read those reviews too.

>>> Chunghwa Telecom Review | Taiwan Mobile Review | T Star Taiwan Review | GT Mobile Taiwan Review | Ibon Mobile Review <<<

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Later, I will make a comparison post of the six Taiwanese SIM cards I tried… but that will take a while (I have many reviews of other countries that I still need to write, so they are prioritized).

But you can still make an educated purchased after reading the Taiwanese SIM card reviews.

Check out my reviews page if you want to read all the other reviews I have written, including other Asian SIM cards.

Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, Far EasTone, T Star, GT Mobile & Ibon Mobile SIM Cards Held by Adu from Phone Travel Wiz

Taiwan SIM Card Buying Guide

There are five other SIM cards to choose from in Taiwan besides Far EasTone.

I analyze and discuss them in-depth in my Taiwan SIM card buying guide.

Buying a SIM Card in Taiwan Guide (logos of Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, Far EasTone, T Star, GT Mobile & Ibon Mobile)