Taiwan Broadband Communications (TBC), a multi-system operator of cable TV in Taiwan, will provide 650,000 free set-top boxes (STBs) for use by its subscribers to hike its proportion of subscribers receiving digital cable TV channels from 13% currently to 25% at the end of 2012, according to a Chinese-language Commercial Times report.

TBC plans to invest NT$2 billion (US$67.8 million) in digitizing its cable TV services over the next five years, with NT$1.5 billion earmarked for procurement of STBs, the paper said.