Taiwan's National Communications Commission (NCC) will amend the nation's telecom regulations to allow 4G operators to share core networks - as long as they first receive official approval.
Operators engaging in 4G core network sharing will also need to change their business plans to accommodate this, the Taipei Timesreported.
The amendment is in relation to a decision in February to fine Asia-Pacfiic Telecom (APT) and Taiwan Mobile TW$300,000 apiece for allegedly violating the requirements of their 4G licenses by entering into a 4G roaming pact without first reporting this to the NCC.
Last week APT was also fined a further TW$300,000 for failing to fulfill its service commitments as a result of the roaming pact.
In this case, APT had simply been using Taiwan Mobile's 4G network to provide services. This will still not be allowed under the amended regulations, as a network sharing deal will not preclude operators from having to build and use their own 4G networks, the report states.
Companies seeking to lease the use of their network to another will also need to meet requirements including owning at least 1,000 base stations and establishing a coverage area of over 50% of the nation.
They will also need to demonstrate that their networks have enough capacity to cope with the additional traffic.