The Chunghwa Telecom Research Institute, initially the Telecommunications Research Institute of the Ministry of Transportation and Communications before July 1996 and later restructured as the Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories in July 2012, was founded in 1969 to cater to the evolving needs of Taiwan's telecommunications and electronic industries. It established a Time and Frequency Standards Laboratory to undertake research in these fields.

At the outset, the laboratory acquired a cesium atomic clock as a reference point for frequency standards. It also used a LORAN-C receiver, supplied by the U.S. military in Taiwan, to capture time and frequency signals from the U.S. Coast Guard's LORAN-C navigation system. Furthermore, the laboratory utilized two Very Low Frequency (VLF) receivers to pick up signals from NDT station in Japan and NWC station in Australia, comparing these with the phase of its atomic clocks for both standard creation and radio wave propagation studies. To meet growing domestic requirements for precise frequency standards and align with international levels, the institute progressively enhanced its facilities by acquiring more atomic clocks, upgrading the LORAN-C system, and incorporating GPS receivers. This development led to international validation of its time and frequency standards, including membership in the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIH) in 1972 and continued participation following the transfer of time standard responsibilities to the Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (BIPM) in 1988.

Since 1974, under the mandate of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, the institute has been responsible for establishing and maintaining the national time and frequency standards. In 1990, to advance the national metrology and calibration system, the then Central Standards Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs (renamed the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection in 1999) required the institute to undergo laboratory accreditation. On April 2, 1992, a panel of experts from various sectors reviewed and reaffirmed the management and technical prowess of the institute's time and frequency standards laboratory. Following the Metrology Act Article 8 and its Enforcement Rules Article 20, on November 14, 1992, the institute was officially entrusted with the operation of the national time and frequency standards laboratory.

From 1994 onwards, the institute has been engaged in a contract with the Bureau of Standards, Metrology and Inspection, successfully completing seven four-year phases of the "Establishment and Maintenance of National Time and Frequency Standards" medium-term project. Moving forward, in line with the decisions of the Third Development Strategy Conference of the National Metrology Laboratories, the institute's future plans include: (1) Conducting maintenance and performance enhancement research for the National Standards Laboratory to fulfill national standards and traceability needs, engaging in global mutual recognition and laboratory accreditation, and advancing measurement and standard calibration technologies. (2) Undertaking time and frequency calibration technology research to meet the needs of international comparison, cooperation, and traceability. (3) Providing national time and frequency services and applying these standards across defense, industrial, informational, and civil sectors.