The Taipei City Government will enlarge the coverage of Taipei Free, its free 512Kbps wireless Internet-access service via Wi-Fi hot spots at selected public places, through expanding the Wi-Fi network from over 2,000 hot spots to 4,500 ones and hiking backhaul capacity to at least 10Mbps, according to the city government.

The city government in June 2011 signed with Global Mobile, a WiMAX operator in northern half of Taiwan, for initial operation of Taipei Free, with the company offering free Wi-Fi access to the Internet at administration centers, government-run libraries and hospitals as well as MRT (mass rapid transit) stations through its WiMAX network.

As the contract with Global Mobile expired at the end of 2011, the city government will offer an open tender to select an operator for expanding Taipei Free Wi-Fi network and continuing operation over the next three years, the city government pointed out. The selection is scheduled for early February 2012 and new hot spots will be located in non-public places, such as coffee shops, based on users' demand, the city government indicated.

Global Mobile will compete for the new contract, according to the company.