There are many SIM cards to choose from when in Taiwan, such as GT Mobile.
GT Mobile is the smallest operator in Taiwan. However, they are the cheapest Taiwanese operator.
In most countries, you want to avoid the cheapest operator, as they are typically aweful.
However, the quality of mobile services in Taiwan are exceptional when compared to many operators around the world. Even the worst is actually great.
In this review, I will go over all you need to know about GT Mobile.
What is APTG GT Mobile
APTG GT Mobile
, standing for Asia Pacific Telecom (亞太電信) but simply known as GT Mobile, is, together with Taiwan Star, the youngest operator in Taiwan. They are also the smallest player in Taiwan, with more than 2 million subscribers (6%+ market share), which puts them slightly behind Taiwan Star (2.3 million subscribers – 8%+ market share).
GT Mobile competes with the other Taiwanese operators, which are Chunghwa Telecom (CHT – 中華電信), Taiwan Mobile (Myfone/Da Ge Da – 台灣大哥大, Far EasTone (FET – 遠傳), and Taiwan Star (T Star – 台灣之星).
GT Mobile Frequencies
This is probably not the most exciting section of this review, but it is perhaps the most critical section of this review.
Sure, I know that packages, speeds, and prices are more relevant to most readers – even for me. However, if your device does not support the frequencies GT Mobile uses, then you cannot (fully) take advantage of the GT Mobile network.
GT Mobile uses the following frequencies:
- 4G/LTE: 700 MHz (Band 28), 900 MHz (Band 8) & 2600 MHz (Band 38)
- 5G NR: 3.5 GHz (n78)
Note: GT Mobile 5G NR network will not be available to GT Mobile prepaid customers anytime. Moreover, it is still actively being rolled out at this time.
To learn whether your device supports these frequencies or not, go to this site to find out.
As always, make sure your phone is unlocked. Otherwise, you will not be able to use any SIM card except the one from your home operator.
You may be wondering why I did not mention GT Mobile’s 2G and 3G frequencies. That is because GT Mobile does not have a 2G nor 3G network anymore.
All Taiwanese Main Operators shut down their 2G coverage in 2017 (in response to the Taiwanese authorities). In 2018, the licenses for their the 3G frequencies expired. Chunghwa Telecom seems to be the only operator that still has 3G plans and having a 3G network.
On the 13th of September 2016, GT Mobile announced that it would shut down its 3G network (on CDMA) on the 1st of September 2017. Since then, one needs a 4G-compatible device to use a GT Mobile SIM card (or any other Taiwanese SIM card, for that matter).
GT Mobile APN Settings
In most cases, your phone will automatically retrieve the correct APN settings for GT Mobile. If that does not the case, you may have to go to the network settings page on your phone and enter the following details (do not enter anything else not mentioned below:
- Name: gtnet
- APN: gtnet
GT Mobile Coverage
Taiwan has a good reputation for having great coverage throughout the country, even on the smaller islands that are not close to Mainland Taiwan (like the Matsu Islands and Kinmen).
If you are staying in populated and urban areas, you should not experience any or a lot of coverage issues with any Taiwanese operator, even when on highways or on trains (except for when traveling in or between South Taiwan (Pingtung to Taitung) and East Taiwan (Taitung to Yilan and Taipei)).
If you are planning on visiting popular national parks in the mountains, like Taroko National Park, then you can expect coverage there as well (with slower speeds).
However, GT Mobile has the reputation of having the worst coverage in Taiwan.
Even though GT Mobile has the worst coverage, their coverage is still impressive when compared to many operators around the world. Nationwide coverage of Taiwanese operators is on par with some other East Asian nations, like Japan and South Korea.
In Opensignal’s Mobile Network Experience Report focusing on Taiwan, they found that GT Mobile has the worst 4G Coverage Experience with a score of 8.8/10 – all the other Taiwanese operators had a score of at least 9.3/10.
However, Opensignal also found that 4G availability was good with GT Mobile, with an availability percentage of 95.7%, which puts GT Mobile ahead of T Star (93.5%) and Chunghwa Telecom (94.9), but behind both Taiwan Mobile (96.5%) and Far EasTone (96.4%).
Now that we know all of that, it is time to look at GT Mobile’s official coverage map. I will show a translated legend as well:
As stated previously, GT Mobile’s coverage in urban areas and around the coast is great. Even the outer lying islands are covered by GT Mobile (although your speeds will be much slower there compared to on Mainland Taiwan). GT Mobile also has a 4G roaming agreement with Taiwan Mobile in some rural areas.
Below is a map of North Taiwan to give you a better idea of where you can expect higher speeds (in the cities and populated areas).
Fun fact: did you know that Taipei means Tai(wan) North? Taichung is Tai(wan) Center, Tainan is Tai(wan) South, and Taitung is Tai(wan) East. There is no region called West Taiwan, and no city is called West Taiwan.
Earlier, we learned that GT Mobile, and all Taiwanese operators for that matter, had a 4G Availability score of more than 90%. However, you probably noticed that a large part in the middle of Taiwan seems not to be covered by GT Mobile.
That is because operators around the world state how much of the population they cover and not how much of the landmass or country they cover. That is why GT Mobile can claim that they cover more than 90% of the Taiwanese population, even though about 50%-70% of the country is covered.
The thing is, Taiwan is a literal island (with a few outer lying islands), meaning that it has many mountains (like Mount Sylvia that was displayed in the coverage map) that have no coverage.
Not many people live in the deep mountainous areas of Taiwan, which is why the Taiwan operators do not bother to invest that much in those regions. Only the inhabited places or popular destinations are covered.
As mentioned earlier, if you are planning on visiting popular attractions in the mountains, like Sun Moon Lake or Taroko National Park, you can expect a signal to some extent and slower speeds.
If you are going off the beaten track, expect no coverage at all (or you may want to consider going with Chunghwa Telecom because they have the best coverage throughout Taiwan, including the mountains, but it is still limited in the mountains, but better than all its competitors).
Now that we have covered the basics, it is time to talk about the essential stuff, like how to get yourself a GT Mobile SIM card and the prices.
GT Mobile SIM Card Price
GT Mobile sells three types of SIM cards with different starter packs perks. The SIM card price for a GT Mobile 4G LOVE (4G LOVE行動預付卡) and the 4G LTE (4G LTE行動預付卡) starter packs range from 300 NTD to 500 NTD and are sold in GT Mobile stores. The GT Mobile tourist SIM card, called Voyageur 4G (4G 旅客上網卡), starts from 230 NTD up to 1000 NTD. This SIM card is sold only at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport in both Terminal 1 & 2.
Be aware that both the 4G LOVE and 4G LTE SIM cards are not sold at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport nor any other Taiwanese airport for that matter.
GT Mobile 4G LOVE SIM Card Price (4G LOVE行動預付卡)
The GT Mobile 4G LOVE SIM card comes in four types of starter packs: 4G LOVE 300, 4G LOVE 4 Days 300, 4G LOVE 500 & 4G Love Happiness.
| Start Pack | Chinese Name | Price | Data | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4G LOVE 300 | 4G LOVE 行動預付卡 300型 | 300 NTD | 1.2 GB (60 days) | 120 NTD |
| 4G LOVE 4 Days 300 | 4G LOVE 行動預付卡4日300型 | 300 NTD | Unlimited (4 days) | 50 NTD |
| 4G LOVE 500 | 4G LOVE 行動預付卡 500型 | 500 NTD | 2.2 GB (60 days) | 200 NTD |
| 4G LOVE Happiness | 4G Love 幸福1.8 元行動預付卡300型 | 300 NTD | Unlimited (3 days) | 300 NTD |
GT Mobile 4G LTE SIM Card Price (4G LTE行動預付卡)
The GT Mobile 4G LTE SIM card comes in two types of starter packs: 4G LTE 300 (4G LTE行動預付卡 300型) and 4G LTE 500 (4G LTE行動預付卡 500型).
| Start Pack | Chinese Name | Price | Data | Credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4G LTE 300 | 4G LTE行動預付卡 300型 | 300 NTD | 1.2 GB (30 days) | 120 NTD |
| 4G LTE 500 | 4G LTE行動預付卡 500型 | 500 NTD | 2.2 GB (30 days) | 200 NTD |
GT Mobile Tourist SIM Card Price (Voyageur – 4G Internet Access Card 4G 旅客上網卡)
The GT Mobile Tourist SIM cards are sold at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, also known as Airport SIM card or Voyageur 4G Internet Access Cards. They come in different variants: Unlimited data-only, short-term unlimited data with credit or long-term unlimited data with credit.
In Taiwan, unlimited data means real unlimited data with uncapped speeds and no high-speed data allowance.
The following Voyageur options are available:
- Data-only: Between 250 NTD with unlimited data for 3 days to 400 NTD with unlimited data for 10 days
- Short-term data with credit: Between 270 NTD with unlimited data and 50 NTD in credit to 450 NTD with unlimited data for 10 days and 50 NTD in credit
- Long-term data with credit: Between 680 NTD with unlimited data for 15 days and 100 NTD in credit to 1000 NTD with unlimited data for 90 days and 60 NTD in credit
The following rates apply when using your credit:
| Action | Price |
|---|---|
| On-net call | 0.05 NTD/sec (3 NTD/min) |
| Off-net call | 0.05 NTD/sec (3 NTD/min) |
| On-net SMS | 1 NTD/SMS |
| Off-net SMS | 2 NTD/SMS |
GT Mobile Tourist SIM Card Plans
Do note that the prices and perks shown on the GT Mobile website differ significantly than the plans sold at the airport. Also, be aware that the SIM cards with no credit do not allow you to receive calls nor receive SMS.
| Price | Data | Credit | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 250 NTD | Unlimited | N/A | 3 days |
| 270 NTD | Unlimited | 50 NTD | 3 days |
| 270 NTD | Unlimited | N/A | 5 days |
| 290 NTD | Unlimited | 50 NTD | 5 days |
| 330 NTD | Unlimited | N/A | 6 days |
| 350 NTD | Unlimited | N/A | 7 days |
| 380 NTD | Unlimited | 50 NTD | 6 days |
| 380 NTD | Unlimited | N/A | 8 days |
| 400 NTD | Unlimited | 50 NTD | 7 days |
| 400 NTD | Unlimited | N/A | 10 days |
| 430 NTD | Unlimited | 50 NTD | 8 days |
| 450 NTD | Unlimited | 50 NTD | 10 days |
| 680 NTD | Unlimited | 100 NTD | 15 days |
| 880 NTD | Unlimited | 60 NTD | 30 days |
| 1450 NTD | Unlimited | 60 NTD | 60 days |
| 1900 NTD | Unlimited | 60 NTD | 90 days |
The GT Mobile website lists the plans shown. Perhaps they are old plans or only sold at Terminal 2 (the photo above was at the GT Mobile booth in Terminal 1) – I will confirm this in the future:
| Price | Data | Credit | Validity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 230 NTD | Unlimited | 50 NTD | 4 days |
| 250 NTD | Unlimited | 50 NTD | 6 days |
| 300 NTD | Unlimited | 100 NTD | 4 days |
| 450 NTD | Unlimited | 80 NTD | 8 days |
| 500 NTD | Unlimited | 300 NTD | 6 days |
| 500 NTD | Unlimited | 100 NTD | 11 days |
| 1000 NTD | Unlimited | 400 NTD | 15 days |
How to Buy a GT Mobile SIM Card (+ Registration & Activation)
You can get GT Mobile SIM cards, both the 4G LOVE and 4G LTE SIM cards, at GT Mobile stores. In contrast, the tourist SIM cards are only sold at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Regardless of where you plan on buying your GT Mobile SIM card, you need to present two forms of identification and some other information listed below:
- 1st form of identification: Passport or APRC (Alien Permanent Resident Certificate)
- 2nd form of identification: Any type of valid Visa (visa-exempt stamps are accepted too), Entry/Exit Permit, Alien Resident Certification (ARC), national ID, or driver’s license (if at the airport, your boarding pass will be accepted too.
- A Taiwanese phone number (for example, the phone number of your hotel)
- The address of your stay in Taiwan (preferably in traditional Chinese characters)
Below are the two methods of getting a GT Mobile SIM card – in a GT Mobile store or at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport.
Buying a GT Mobile 4G LOVE/4G LTE SIM Card in GT Mobile Stores
Getting yourself a regular GT Mobile SIM card, as in – not a tourist SIM card, can be a challenge because not many GT Mobile stores sell prepaid SIM cards. In fact, GT Mobile prepaid SIM cards are the most difficult SIM cards to obtain, based on personal experience.
During my stay in Tainan, I went to all GT Mobile stores (more than 10) in the East District and West Central District to get a regular GT Mobile SIM card.
None of the stores I visited, except for one, had prepaid SIM cards in stock or ever sold them.
The one GT Mobile store that did sell them was in a rather non-touristy part of Taiwan.
Apparently, this is the case in most GT Mobile stores around Taiwan, as the company focuses more on postpaid customers than on prepaid customers (except for at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport – even there the SIM cards are sold by agents and not official GT Mobile staff, it seems).
As a result, I recommend tourist and short-term travelers to get a Tourist SIM card because you could be wasting your time trying to locate a store that has GT Mobile prepaid SIM cards in stock.
If you are up for the challenge or need a Taiwanese phone number that will not expire quickly, then you can follow these instructions.
1. Go to a GT Mobile Store
2. Tell the GT Mobile That You Want to Purchase a GT Mobile Prepaid SIM Card
3. Select Your GT Mobile Starter Pack of Choice
4. Fill in The Application Form & Show Your Two Forms of Identification
5. Pay for The SIM Card (300 NTD – 500 NTD)
6. Insert Your New SIM Card in Your Phone to See if It Works
You have successfully purchased yourself a GT Mobile prepaid SIM card!
Buying a GT Mobile Tourist SIM Card (Voyageur) at the Airport
Getting a GT Mobile at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport is the easiest way to get a GT Mobile SIM card, or a Taiwanese SIM card for that matter.
GT Mobile SIM cards are sold in both terminal 1 & 2, and the booths are open from 10:00 to 20:00 (10 AM – 8 PM) every day.
Here are the steps to get yourself a GT Mobile tourist SIM card:
1. Go to a GT Mobile Airport Booth
2. Select Your Tourist SIM Card of Choice
3. Fill in the Application Form & Show Two Forms of Identification
4. Pay for the SIM Card (250 NTD – 1000 NTD)
5. Insert Your New SIM Card in Your Phone to See if It Works
You have successfully bought a GT Mobile tourist SIM card!
How to Reload a GT Mobile SIM Card (Buying a Plan or Airtime)
You can recharge your GT Mobile SIM card in GT Mobile stores or in 7-Eleven stores with the Ibon Machine. You can purchase airtime/credits or an internet plan.
Although finding a store that sells GT Mobile prepaid SIM cards can be a hassle, topping up prepaid SIM cards in GT Mobile stores is much simpler.
Simply inform the GT Mobile salesperson about the type of SIM card you have (4G LOVE or 4G LTE), tell them how much airtime you want to reload or which plan you want, pay for the reload, and you are good to go.
Or you can go to a 7-Eleven and use the Ibon Machine to get a reload voucher. This is the preferred method because there are over 5400 7-Elevens throughout Taiwan, which means that a 7-Eleven is probably closer to you than a GT Mobile store.
The issue, however, is that the Ibon Machine is primarily in Chinese (traditional characters), especially the reload vouchers menu on the machine.
Luckily for you, I have a photo guide on how to get a GT Mobile top-up voucher below.
Do note that those with a tourist SIM card can also recharge their balance (for international calls, for example). However, buying an internet package will NOT extend the validity of the tourist SIM card.
With that being said, here are the steps to reload your GT Mobile SIM card.
How to get a GT Mobile Reload Voucher with an Ibon Machine
Below are photo steps on how to get a GT Mobile recharge voucher
1. Go to an Ibon Machine
4. Press the GT Mobile Logo
7. Press Agree, Continue to the Next Step (同意, 繼續 下一步)
9. Confirm Your Selection is Correct
10. The Voucher Receipt Will Be Printed. Give the Receipt to the 7-Eleven salesperson, and They Will Give You the Actual Reload Voucher
11. Call 987, Press 1, Enter the 14-Digit Voucher Code and Finish with the # Key (LOVE SIM Card) OR Call 989, Press 1, Enter the 16-Digit Voucher Code and Finish with the # Key
You have now successfully reloaded your GT Mobile SIM card!
GT Mobile Balance Check
Depending on the type of GT Mobile SIM card you have, you can find out what your GT Mobile balance is by calling the service number. Be aware that this number is spoken in Mandarin only.
Below are the steps to hear your GT Mobile balance:
- Dial 987 (4G LOVE SIM card) or 989 (4G LTE SIM card)
- Press 21 for standard credit balance or 22 for promotional/discounted balance
GT Mobile Packages, Plans, Bundles & Offers
GT Mobile has several airtime and internet packages to choose from. Depending on the type of SIM card you have (4G LOVE or 4G LTE), you can get airtime and take advantage of standard rates, or you can get an internet plan with metered data or unlimited data.
Those with a GT Mobile tourist SIM card should choose one of the 4G LOVE airtime top-ups in case you need more credit, NOT the 4G LTE airtime options.
Be sure to purchase a package that is sold for your SIM card. If you purchase a plan that was not made for your SIM card, then you will not be able to redeem it.
The following options are available:
- 4G LOVE Voice Recharge (Airtime)
- 4G LOVE Online Stored Value (Internet)
- 4G LTE Voice Recharge (Airtime)
- 4G LTE Online Stored Value (Internet)
Let’s go through each option. Click on the link above to jump to your bundle of choice.
Although the Internet plans typically are data-only plans, you may get airtime during promotional periods. The photos I have taken at the Ibon Machine have been taken during a promotion, which is why the pictures may show perks that are not listed in the tables below.
GT Mobile 4G LOVE Voice Recharge Top-Ups (語音儲值)
The 4G LOVE Voice Recharge top-ups are reloads that allow you to use data, make calls, and send SMS at standard rates, specifically for the 4G LOVE SIM card or tourist SIM card.
The following 4G LOVE Voice Recharge Top-Up is available:
| Top-Up | Airtime |
|---|---|
| 300 NTD | 350 NTD |
GT Mobile 4G LOVE Online Stored Value – Internet Packages (上網儲值)
The 4G LOVE Online Stores Value top-ups are plans that come with either metered data or unlimited data for up to 30 days.
When I say unlimited data, I mean truly unlimited data. This is the norm in Taiwan, which is different from many operators around the world.
If you can manage to consume 60 GB within 3 days when your plan allows for unlimited data for 3 days, then you can do so without having to worry about a reduction in speeds (unless stated otherwise).
The following 4G LOVE Online Stored Value top-ups are available:
| Price | Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| 100 NTD | Unlimited | 1 day |
| 180 NTD | 1.2 GB | 60 days |
| 300 NTD | 2.2 GB | 60 days |
| 300 NTD | Unlimited | 3 days |
| 500 NTD | Unlimited | 5 days |
| 699 NTD | 5 GB | 90 days |
| 799 NTD | 10 GB high-speed data, then unlimited data at reduced speeds (5 Mbps) | 30 days |
GT Mobile 4G LTE Voice Recharge Top-Ups (語音儲值)
The 4G LTE Voice Recharge top-ups are reloads that allow you to use data, make calls, and send SMS at standard rates, specifically for the 4G LTE SIM card.
The following 4G LTE Voice Recharge Top-Up is available:
| Top-Up | Airtime |
|---|---|
| 300 NTD | 350 NTD |
GT Mobile 4G LTE Online Stored Value – Internet Packages (上網儲值)
The 4G LTE Online Stores Value top-ups are plans that come with either metered data or unlimited data for up to 30 days.
The following 4G LTE Online Stored Value top-ups are available:
| Price | Data | Validity |
|---|---|---|
| 180 NTD | 1.2 GB | 60 days |
| 300 NTD | 2.2 GB | 60 days |
| 699 NTD | 5 GB | 90 days |
GT Mobile Speed Results
Earlier, we learned that GT Mobile has the worst coverage in Taiwan, but do they redeem themselves by having incredible speeds?
Before we talk about the speeds I got with GT Mobile, I want to quickly mention the average speeds in Taiwan to have something to compare to.
According to the Speedtest Global Index, Taiwan has an average mobile download speed of 52 Mbps, putting Taiwan in the top 25 (#22) fastest average mobile broadband speeds in the world. For reference, the Speedtest Global Index includes 139 countries.
Opensignal, however, reports much slower speeds. Then again, it is important to know that Ookla’s Speedtest app is probably the most popular speed test app in the world, which means that they have a larger sample size – I always use the Speedtest app for my tests.
Below are the average download and upload speeds broken down per mobile operator:
These charts paint a bleak image of the speeds you can get in Taiwan – I can already tell you that you can expect faster speeds than reported by Opensignal, even with GT Mobile.
In most countries I visited before Taiwan, I did about 3-6 speed tests. Then, I would show you the results in this section.
However, in the tourist SIM cards and plans section, we learned that the airport plans come with truly unlimited data and uncapped speeds.
As I got myself a tourist SIM card twice, I did not have to worry about hitting my data allowance at all.
Moreover, because of the pandemic, I was allowed to stay in Taiwan for more than half a year, meaning that I had ample time to do tests with GT Mobile.
As a result, I conducted more than 1300 speed tests while in Taiwan (up to five different servers per location, multiplied by five SIM cards). But I only saved the best results of each location, which lowers the total recorded results to a bit more than 500 speed tests.
I did about 250 speed tests with GT Mobile in 105 different locations in 10 Taiwanese cities and towns. If I were to insert all the speed test images here, it would take ages to load the page, and you would be scrolling to 100+ images – not fun.
What I will do instead is show you the 4 fastest speed test results I got with GT Mobile and the 4 slowest speed test results. I will also share some overall speed statistics as well.
If you want to get the raw results in an Excel spreadsheet, simply enter your email address in the form below, and a link to the file will be sent to your mailbox right away.
So here are the best speed test results I got with GT Mobile, including the locations. For reference, I conducted speed tests in the following cities and towns:
- Tainan (22 locations)
- Kaohsiung (8 locations)
- Taipei (21 locations)
- New Taipei City (8 locations)
- Taoyuan (6 locations)
- Taichung (9 locations)
- Taitung (7 locations)
- Hualien (10 locations)
- Luodong (6 locations)
- Yilan (4 locations)
GT Mobile Fastest Download Speed Results
Below are the four fastest download speeds I got with GT Mobile:
GT Mobile Slowest Download Speed Results
Below are the four slowest download speeds I got with GT Mobile:
GT Mobile Speed Test Statistics
Below are some highlighted statistics related to the Ibon Mobile speed data I collected (based on 105 results).
- GT Mobile’s average download speed was 36.21 Mbps
- GT Mobile’s average upload speed was 10.62 Mbps
- The median download speed with GT Mobile was33.46 Mbps
- The median upload speed with GT Mobile was 8.15 Mbps, which was the slowest median upload speed I got with any Taiwanese operator
- The highest download speed I managed to get with GT Mobile was 122.67 Mbps at Yilan Station (宜蘭車站) in Yilan City
- The highest upload speed I managed to get with GT Mobile was 70.19 Mbps at Laya Burger (拉亞漢堡-台東中山) in Taitung City, which was also the highest upload speed I got with any Taiwanese operator
- The highest location average download speed with GT Mobile was in Taoyuan City, with an average download speed of 66.53 Mbps
- The highest location average upload speed with GT Mobile was in Taitung City, with an average upload speed of 23.26 Mbps
- The slowest download speed I managed to get with GT Mobile was 2.18 Mbps in a Familymart on Guangzhou Road, Wanhua District (廣州街 – 萬華區) in Taipei City
- The slowest upload speed I managed to get with GT Mobile was 0.04 Mbps in my Airbnb in Hualien City on Fuqiang Road (市富強路), which was the slowest upload speed I got with any Taiwanese operator
- The slowest location average download speed with GY Mobile was in Kaohsiung City, with an average download speed of 18.25 Mbps, which was the slowest location average download speed I got with any Taiwanese operator
- The slowest location average upload speed with GT Mobile was in Kaohsiung City, with an average upload speed of 5.69 Mbps, which was the slowest location average upload speed I got with any Taiwanese operator
In the 105 locations where I did speed tests with all my Taiwanese SIM cards, GT Mobile had the fastest download speed in 9 locations and the fastest upload speed in 3 locations, often with a small margin.
GT Mobile is, on average, significantly slower than Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, and Far EasTone in terms of download and upload speeds, but slightly faster than Taiwan Star’s prepaid network (which has throttled speeds).
The average download speed I got with my Taiwanese SIM cards 63.98 Mbps, and the average upload speed was 19.42. GT Mobile underperformed in both categories.
The thing with GT Mobile is that their speeds are unpredictable. In some locations, GT Mobile was surprisingly fast compared to its competitors. In other locations, GT Mobile was embarrassingly slow.
At least GT Mobile’s speeds are not throttled, unlike Taiwan Star (which is the only operator to throttle its speeds for prepaid customers).
Should You Get a GT Mobile SIM Card?
I would recommend GT Mobile to those wanting to get a Taiwanese SIM card.
The thing is, all Taiwanese operators have great coverage throughout Taiwan. At least, in the populated areas of Taiwan, even GT Mobile as the smallest Taiwanese operator.
The main issue I had with GT Mobile is getting a regular GT Mobile SIM card – it was time-consuming.
Sure, I understand GT Mobile primarily focused on postpaid customers. However, by limiting themselves like that, they miss out on the tourist and traveler segment.
The best way to get a GT Mobile SIM card as a tourist is to get one at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Although I had plenty of time to visit multiple GT Mobile stores to get myself a GT Mobile 4G LOVE SIM card, I would not recommend any traveler to waste their time like that.
One reason to get a GT Mobile tourist SIM cards is that they are the cheapest Taiwanese tourist SIM cards out there.
The prices for the airport plans sold at the airport are almost the same with all the Taiwanese operators. However, GT Mobile’s plans are, in all cases, cheaper than its competitors.
The downside of GT Mobile’s tourist SIM cards is that they come with the least amount of free credit for calls and texting.
For example, the 30-day SIM card costs 880 NTD and comes with 60 NTD in credit. All the other operators sell their 30-day SIM card for 1000 NTD, but you get 430 NTD in credit for free, which is significantly higher than what GT Mobile offers (except for Taiwan Star – they only give 100 NTD in airtime).
Moreover, if you decide to choose an airport plan that does not come with credit, then you cannot receive calls or SMS. Those features are disabled, even if you buy airtime with an Ibon Machine (so do not buy airtime if you purchase a data-only tourist SIM card).
The normal packages that GT Mobile offers are standard for Taiwanese standards, but GT Mobile is sometimes cheaper, especially during promotional periods.
When looking at speeds, GT Mobile was a hit or miss. At some locations, the speeds were the other operators got insanely fast speeds, GT Mobile was embarrassing. In other places where the other operators were struggling, GT Mobile came at the top.
I assume that If Taiwan Star did not throttle its speeds for prepaid customers, then GT Mobile would be Taiwan’s slowest operator. GT Mobile was the slowest operator in almost all the slowness categories I used for my Taiwanese SIM card reviews, which is sad.
Then again, with an average download speed of 36 Mbps, GT Mobile is slightly ahead of the world average download speed of 36 Mbps, meaning that GT Mobile is not that slow. However, they are slow for Taiwanese standards.
I do, however, have faith in GT Mobile. Far EasTone announced that it would acquire an 11% stake in APTG, and that it plans on sharing 5G spectrum with APTG. I managed to get the fastest 4G download speed in Taiwan and around the world (at the time of writing) with Far EasTone. This means that I expect much faster speeds with GT Mobile once their 5G network is fully deployed.
Overall, GT Mobile is a good operator that is the cheapest operator in Taiwan. Although it does have some flaws, like having the worst coverage and slowest speeds in the country, it is still a great operator when compared to other mobile carriers in the Asia Pacific region.
With all of that said, GT Mobile is a decent and affordable operator in Taiwan with slight drawbacks. Therefore, they deserve their 4-star rating.
Taiwan SIM Card Review Series
This GT Mobile review is part of my Taiwanese SIM Card Review series, where I reviewed six different SIM cards (Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan Mobile, Far EasTone, Taiwan Star (T Star), APTG GT Mobile, and Ibon Mobile).
I would recommend reading those reviews too before deciding on which Taiwanese SIM card you want to buy.
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I have written many articles with tips and hacks to save money on mobile costs while abroad. You surely want to check them out!
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