TAIPEI (WiMAX Day). The Taiwanese company Global On announced at a press conference in Taipei yesterday that it has changed its name to Global Mobile Corp, and it will build a digital content business for WiMAX.

“We firmly believe that digital content will become the next local industry to generate more than US$30 billion (NT$1 trillion),” said Rosemary Ho, chairwoman of Global Mobile. She added that digital content will become the main source of revenue for the Global Mobile WiMAX business, and digital content revenues will be derived from subscription services, information services, and most importantly online gaming and entertainment.

Ho is regarded as one of the leading technology executives in Taiwan. In February this year, she surprised the industry when she resigned from her position of managing director at Hewlett-Packard (HP) Taiwan Ltd. Following her departure from HP, Ho formed Global On as a venture capital fund focussed on WiMAX investments, and Global On was awarded a license for WiMAX spectrum in the northern region of Taiwan in July of this year.

The launch-pad for its digital content business will be an alliance named the “WiMAX Digital Contents Union.” The alliance will include several content partners such as China Television Company, Chinese Television System, Soft-World International Corporation, ERA Digital Media, and Hit-FM, amongst others.

According to a report in the China Post, “the alliance will target content provision in four different fields, namely sports news, international arts and entertainment, business news, and digital games.” Wang Chun-po, the chairman of Soft-World International Corporation, a Taiwanese producer of on-line games, said in the report that the alliance “will work out a package deal with the local telecommunication companies for the benefit of our game players in the future.”

The global digital content business is estimated to be valued at some US$160 billion, and Ho indicated during the press conference that companies in Taiwan should play a larger role in this industry. Using WiMAX as a spring-board into the world of “anywhere, anytime” content, Taiwan businesses want more than their traditional role as manufacturers of hardware.

The China Post report noted that Ho Mei-yueh, chairwoman of the Council for Economic Planning and Development (CEPD) in Taiwan, who was part of the conference yesterday, said: “Taiwan used to concentrate on original equipment manufacturing (OEM) and mass production operations for other companies. This time we will lead others with WiMAX.”

As Global Mobile Corp begins its expansion, it will require additional funding. Chairwoman Ho also said yesterday that Global Mobile Corp will increase its capital structure to provide for expansion and investment, as it builds its network and digital content business. The company currently has some US$30 million (NT$1 billion) paid in capital, and as the company continues to raise funds, it expects this amount will increase to roughly US$150 million (NT$5 billion).

Global Mobile Corp said it is now in the process of selecting equipment suppliers for its network deployment, which it says will be ready for operation at the end of 2008.

In a separate report today noted that WiMAX services in Taiwan are forecast to reach 782,000 by the end of 2011.